Sadie
by Iaurore
Summary: ~CoMpLeTed~ Sadie Riddle, your average Muggle-raised teen in foster care, finds she is anything but average when an old man in a robe with half-moon spectacles tells her about her past and what could happen in her future.
1. A Lot to Swallow

Sadie Disclaimer: A lot of the stuff on here like Hogwarts and lots of the characters is JK Rowling's. Everything else is most likely MINE! Thanks.  
  
Chapter 1-A lot to Swallow  
  
/An unearthly, anguished cry pierced the empty air of the dark graveyard./  
  
/A black robed man, a slight distance away at the top of a little hill, had thrown his pallid, claw-like hands into the air and faced the sky, perhaps calling to all and any deities for an explanation. There were others standing around him in uncomfortable silence, closer. The first man, obviously their leader, dropped his hands to his sides and lowered his head. In an equally unearthly whisper he spoke./  
  
`"He will not get away."  
  
/The men around him shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, Master," they called back in subdued tones./  
  
/The leader turned and faced his followers, his face concealed by his hood. His eyes, however, could plainly be seen through the inky blackness, a fiery red with hardly any pupil. "Our reign of terror has commenced once more. Ready yourselves for the morn, when we will return here. Plan on starting your days with a bang." The man gave a soft, cruel chuckle, which his horde resounded./  
  
/Then he turned to a man only a little ways from him. "Wormtail!" The little man started and stood before him, cowering. The leader snorted disdainfully at him. "You will accompany me. The rest of you--go home."/  
  
/Simultaneously the others flicked long sticks in the air and disappeared with pops that echoed through the empty night. The skeletal man, with a sneer in his voice, spoke to the nervous one. "Let's go Wormtail. I haven't slept in 15 years and am looking forward to--" He stopped suddenly and looked up. Wormtail straightened as his master stepped forward a few paces. "What is it, my Lord? Is someone watching?" He was silenced with a movement of the other's hand. The claw-handed man edged closer until the only thing visible was his face, still concealed by the hood. A ghastly hand reached up and pulled it away. Soft moonlight reflected off of the horrible face, frightfully white with snake-like nostrils and the unnerving coal eyes. These awful eyes blinked and changed to a set very familiar./  
  
Sadie let out a blood-curdling scream as she realized they were her own. She opened her eyes and bolted upright, clutching her chest. Then she let out a long sigh of relief that seemed to come all the way from her toes. /It was only a dream,/ she told herself. Sadie looked around her. Sunlight was flooding in from her open window onto the sweat-drenched sheets where she sat.  
  
"Sadie! Are you up yet?" a familiar voice called.  
  
Sadie jumped.  
  
"Yeah, Janet!" she called back a little annoyed as she realized who it was. Sadie stood up and stretched before teetering over to her dresser and pulling out her undergarments, a baggy white tee shirt, and a tattered pair of blue jeans. Then she stumbled to her closet and grabbed a pair of beat- up sneakers. After she collected her outfit she jumped in the shower. It didn't help relax her much since she was still thinking about her awful dream. Sadie rinsed off and got out of the shower. There was a sharp knock on the bathroom door.  
  
"Sadie? You need to hurry up. Janet and I need to talk to you," a male voice called through the door.  
  
Sadie rolled her eyes and wrapped herself in a towel. She opened the door the tiniest crack. "/Alright,/ Keith, I'll be out in a second."  
  
Keith nodded and pulled the door shut. Sadie shook her head and mumbled while she dressed. Couldn't they wait at least until she got some breakfast? Geez.  
  
When she came into the kitchen for breakfast, Sadie could tell something was wrong. The very walls were saturated in tension it seemed, even though the kitchen was normally a cozy, cheerful spot with white walls and a citrus colored border.  
  
There was an old man, one that Sadie was sure she had never seen before, sitting at the little table off to the side of the kitchen. He was a strange figure, with a long silver beard and hair, a long, crooked nose, half-moon glasses, and to top it all off, long burgundy robes. Janet and Keith were holding hands and looking apprehensively from Sadie to the old man. After a very uncomfortable moment, Janet stood up, mimicked by Keith and the visitor. Then she walked across to Sadie, putting her arm around her shoulders and guiding her to the table.  
  
"Sadie, I'd like you to meet Professor Dumbledore," she said, gesturing toward the robed man.  
  
Dumbledore, by way of greeting, smiled and held out his hand, which Sadie shook, still clueless as to what was going on. There was an uncomfortable silence until Janet spoke up.  
  
"Sadie, this is going to be really hard for you to understand, but I'll try to help you with that. We all will. Are you ready for this?"  
  
Sadie felt a shiver crawl up her back; her mouth went dry. "Okay."  
  
Janet took a deep breath and began. "Sadie, you're a witch. I'm a witch, Keith's a wizard, and Professor Dumbledore's a wizard. There are lots of magical people. We can do amazing things. With wands." Janet pulled a chair over to the cabinet above the fridge and reached above it, in a nook a few inches below the ceiling. Out of the nook (which Sadie had never noticed beforehand) she pulled out a metal box. She climbed down and returned the chair and herself to their previous spots. She gently handed the box to Sadie.  
  
"Open it."  
  
Sadie did and found two long, wooden sticks of different types of wood inside. Her blood ran cold as she remembered the sticks the men in her dream had. "So-so what kinds of things can you do?"  
  
Dumbledore spoke for the first time. "Would you like a demonstration?" Sadie thought he had a very kind voice. Keith and Janet looked apprehensive, but Sadie nodded enthusiastically, so he ignored her guardians and pulled a wand of his own out of a pocket in his robes and stood up. He pointed it directly at Sadie, and in a very clear voice, spoke the first magic words Sadie had ever heard. "/Wingardium Leviosa./"  
  
Sadie cried out a little as she felt her chair lifting up off the ground. She clung on to it for dear life, even though she had only risen a few inches above the ground. Dumbledore put her back down after a few seconds.  
  
"That was awesome!" burst out Sadie once she had safely returned to the ground.  
  
Dumbledore smiled, obviously amused at her delight. "That's one of the first spells you learn in school."  
  
"School?" asked Sadie, perplexed.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "School. We'll get back to that. There are other things you can do. Good things.and bad."  
  
Janet and Keith looked up in alarm. "Professor, is this.wise?"  
  
Dumbledore hardly glanced at them before continuing. "Not all wizarding people are good. Some are bad. Dark. There is one in particular that you should know about."  
  
"Many years ago, a dark wizard by the name of Voldemort," Keith and Janet flinched, "began accumulating power and an entourage of other less flagitious wizards for him. Many stood up to the force he represented, that of corruption and demoralization. Most of these exemplary people he heartlessly massacred. Contrary to your former belief, your parents were not eradicated in a mere freak incident of misprescribed food poisoning. Your biological parents were one of many who valiantly served against him and became martyrs of the cause of virtue and goodness. Your parents were a definite threat to his gain in power as they, in time, would have perhaps neared his power's proportion for fight for good. And so, he brutally murdered them and it is my belief that because you are still here with us, he was and is unknowing of your existence. He likely would have feared that with the legacy of your parents behind you, you would have followed in their footsteps and defeated him. He has been set back time and time again without anyone really finishing him off. The current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, thought it was best if you were hidden from all magical influence so you would not be found out by him. So every time you have been given up by a 'foster family,' volunteer families of the undercover magical community have passed you on in order to keep you out of reach of the Dark Lord's cruel grasp. In light of recent events in the wizarding world, namely the return of Voldemort in full force, I have finally succeeded in convincing Minister Fudge that the best course of action is for you to be taken in to the school's custody. This school, Hogwarts, is the safest place possible for you. Here you will be given the privilege of learning magic and being with other witches and wizards of your age group. However, there is a problem; most young wizarding people begin their magical education at the age of eleven, so you are extremely belated in the commencement of your tutelage. Because of this," Dumbledore took a satisfied breath, "I have asked a colleague of mine to tutor you over the summer on the bare necessities of each year." Dumbledore looked deeply into her eyes over his half-moon spectacles. "I know that's a lot to swallow. Do have any questions?"  
  
Sadie shook her head although there were a million questions buzzing around her muddled mind like confused bees. It wasn't worth trying to sort them into comprehensible thoughts.  
  
Dumbledore smiled sadly and pulled out a silver pocket watch and glanced at it. "Your tutor will be here Monday morning at 9 am sharp. I will arrive with him to smooth things over and explain the arrangement in further detail at that time." Then he stood and so did Keith and Janet. But Sadie was numbly fixed in her chair. Dumbledore shook hands with Janet and Keith in turn. Then he softly laid a hand on Sadie's tensed shoulder.  
  
"Good luck."  
  
Keith and Janet showed him to the door while Sadie ran his dialogue over in her mind. He was right. That /was/ a lot to swallow.  
  
***  
  
Looking back, Sadie was never quite sure how she got through that weekend. She was feeling so many emotions all at once it was hard to sit still. But Monday finally did come.  
  
It had been drizzly Sunday, so Sadie had expected it to rain the next morning, but not like it was. The rain pounded against the house, wind shook the windows. There was too much energy in it for the day to be dreary. Sadie dressed and showered, the same as any morning, but she of course put on nicer clothes, flare leg khakis, a long sleeve black v-neck shirt, and some chunky sandals, considering she was actually expecting company. Sadie found after several botched attempts that she was unable to eat. But then, she thought, she had to do /something/. So, she cleaned her room. It was messy after all. As she was finishing up, over the din the vacuum made she didn't hear the grandfather clock in the living room begin to chime 9 o'clock until the fifth tone. Upon actually hearing the sixth, Sadie scrambled to put away the vacuum and brush a few strokes through her hair. Miraculously, she was sitting in the living room on the ninth with Keith and Janet.  
  
The fireplace had been lit, and on the final chime the flames had turned a strange emerald green, and two men toppled out of it. One she recognized as Prof. Dumbledore. The other was a man wearing shabby-looking robes, who, if not for the numerous grays in his light brown hair, Sadie would have guessed to be in his late thirties.  
  
As the two men straightened their robes Janet stood, as did Keith and Sadie, following her lead. Dumbledore smiled at them.  
  
"It's very nice to see you all again. May I introduce Professor Remus Lupin?"  
  
Professor Lupin smiled awkwardly and shook hands with each of them. When he reached Sadie he spoke in a quiet voice denoting a thoughtful, almost shy nature. "It's nice to meet you. I'll be your tutor this summer."  
  
Sadie shook his hand and smiled. "Yes, Professor Dumbledore told us you would be coming."  
  
"Speaking of," Janet said, as she motioned the two men to sit down, "there were some other things you said you would tell us. Like how, /specifically/ how, this is going to work."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed I did. This will take a good deal of time, and in your part, Sadie, a very open mind." Dumbledore paused, preparing himself. "Professor Lupin--is a werewolf."  
  
Sadie blinked. "What?"  
  
"A werewolf. There is, however, no reason to fear him. There have been recent breakthroughs: a potion making victims of lycanthropy completely harmless.if they remember to take it. I assure you that Professor Lupin has no trouble in remembering his." A significant look passed between the two robed men. "It is required that every full moon you work on your own, as a required precaution."  
  
"Oh.well, okay."  
  
"As for the actual tutoring, it will be as much like Hogwarts as possible. You'll get started at 8 o'clock each weekday morning. You will break for an hour at 12 and continue until 5. I must insist that you are asleep by 10. Also, I'd like you to start wearing robes, just so you get used to them. Get as much as you can done each day and this should go along smoothly."  
  
Lupin spoke up when Dumbledore was done. "We've got to cram about 2 weeks into every day, so we won't go over every single thing. Just enough for you to pass your exams."  
  
Sadie nodded eagerly. "So when do we start?"  
  
Dumbledore and Lupin looked at each other for a moment. Lupin answered hesitantly. "Well, we'll have to get your supplies first."  
  
Dumbledore smiled at Lupin. "You two could do that today, you know."  
  
Lupin was taken aback. "What? Me? Take her? Now? Headmaster, this was not discussed."  
  
Dumbledore kept on smiling. "Is that a problem?"  
  
Lupin, still obviously off guard, looked from a patiently authoritative Dumbledore to confused Sadie, and back to Dumbledore. "No, I--I suppose not. Would you like to go get your things today, Sadie? Now, perhaps?"  
  
"That would be so cool!" exclaimed Sadie. She suddenly deflated. "But.how am I gonna buy anything? I don't have any money."  
  
"Your parents had been depositing into an Educational Fund for you as soon as they were married, not to mention their life savings," assured Dumbledore. "You are well taken care of."  
  
Sadie perked up again and turned to Lupin. "Let's go!"  
  
Lupin eyed Janet and Keith. "Any objections?" They looked at each other for confirmation and shook their heads, smiling.  
  
Sadie jumped for joy and clapped her hands. "This is going to be totally fun. I /love / shopping. But how're we gonna get there?"  
  
"We can go the Muggle way, or just use Floo powder. Either way," shrugged Lupin. "Oh, sorry, 'Muggle' is non-magic and 'Floo powder' is how Professor Dumbledore and I came."  
  
"Floo powder is with the weird fire and stuff, right?" asked Sadie. Lupin nodded. "Let's do that," decided Sadie.  
  
Lupin walked over to the fireplace and pulled a small satchel out of his robes. Opening it, he took a pinch of dust from it and threw it into the fire. It turned green once again and he turned to Sadie.  
  
"You go first. Just step into it and say 'Inglebright Inn'. Nice and clear now. Don't go anywhere until I come out too. Go on."  
  
Sadie tentatively stepped into the fire. The flame licked her skin without heat. "Inglebright Inn."  
  
Sadie felt an awful jerk from behind her belly button as she felt herself whoosh forward. Around her wind whipped past and she could see hundreds of other fireplaces darting by. It stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Her feet slammed on a hard dirt floor. Dusting herself off, Sadie looked around. So this was Inglebright Inn. 


	2. Get Away Lane

Chapter 2-Getaway Lane  
  
The fireplace she stumbled out of took up a whole wall of the room she viewed. There were no windows and everything seemed to be various shades of dirt brown. On the wall to her left was a rough-hewn desk with a surly- looking man standing behind it, looking straight at her. Sadie glanced down at the floor and then scooted aside as Prof. Lupin fell out of the fireplace. Sadie couldn't help but giggle at him, sprawled on the ground. He got up quickly.  
  
Sadie walked up in front of him. "Are you alright?"  
  
Lupin grumbled, brushing off his robes a little. "Stupid Floo powder." Then, in a less hostile tone, "I'm okay, are you? Welcome to Inglebright Inn. There's not much to it, huh?"  
  
Sadie nodded, looking around. The place made her a bit uneasy. "So--so let's get started, eh?"  
  
Lupin looked at her curiously for a moment before saying, "It's not that scary."  
  
"Can we just go?" she said uncomfortably.  
  
Lupin's face softened as he nodded and directed her across the room to the staircase adjacent to the fireplace. Sadie looked critically at the rickety stair.  
"Will it hold us both?" She laughed nervously.  
  
Lupin looked up to the top seriously. "There's only one way to find out," he said, starting up, "C'mon."  
  
The dim light on the steep, narrow stairway, in addition to the creaking beneath them, gave Sadie reason to hold her breath until they reached the top. The upstairs hallway was better lit and much more pleasant. It was a long hall, with a woven rug, and had numbered doors all down it. At the end, a simple door-sized arched window revealed only murky gray sky. Lupin marched to this window and beckoned Sadie to come when he reached it.  
  
"Watch," he said in a hushed voice. He drew out his wand and touched the windowsill with it. Suddenly, there was no window, only an empty doorway leading out onto a winding cobblestone path, lined with shops, ranging widely in sizes. A few yards away was a sign hung over the road: Getaway Lane. Sadie stepped, awed, into the sunshine, followed by a regardful, quiet Lupin.  
  
She stopped under the sign. Getaway Lane. Sadie repeated it over and over in her mind. She found significance in it.she was going to Getaway.away from her old life of never fitting in or feeling right.away from how things might have been.and into a stunning, bright new world, so unfamiliar and bizarre and dangerous, and yet feeling like she belonged.  
  
Lupin's voice beside her brought her back from her thoughts. "Ready?"  
  
Sadie focused resolutely at the bustling street before her. "Yeah. Where to first?"  
  
"Um, well, we'd better get your money first. Let's ask where the bank is."  
  
They stepped into the first shop, which, even from outside, smelled like general animal odor.  
  
Lupin approached the front desk cautiously, winding between many cages, with Sadie following a few steps behind. Behind the desk, feeding a large rat some sunflower seeds through the bars was a middle-aged lady with frazzled blonde hair and sparkly, ice blue robes.  
  
The lady spoke before they were within two yards of the desk.  
  
"Hello, hello! Would you like a rat? Cat? Spider? Owl? Frog perhaps? They're all on sale, 20% off and just for today. For you, I'll even throw in a cage, food, and manual! So, what'll it be?"  
  
"We just wanted to know if you knew where the bank was."  
  
The blonde woman's shoulders slumped and her face went to almost a pout. "You don't want to buy anything?"  
  
"Oh, we'd love to," explained Sadie. She corrected herself and glanced at Lupin. "That is, ah, I'd love to. But I don't have any money with me. So if you'd direct us to the bank we'd love to come back later,"  
  
The woman looked confused. "What about your father," she said, nodding towards Lupin, "Can't he buy you a pet?"  
  
Lupin and Sadie exchanged looks. Then they burst out laughing.  
  
"You really think she's /my/ daughter???" Lupin said incredulously between sidesplitting laughs, "That is /really/ funny."  
  
Sadie just kept laughing shamelessly and pointing at Lupin, with a few words intelligible, like "/HIM???/" before laughing loudly again.  
  
The lady was obviously miffed. "Well, its eight shops down on the other side of the road. The least you can do now is go and get some money and come buy a pet," she said huffily.  
  
Still stifling chuckles, they thanked the lady and headed down the road. They passed several intriguing shops full of odd smells and unusual sounds. Sadie would have liked to browse, but Lupin, seeing her longing gazes at the other shops, told her that it wasn't a good idea yet, considering the Pet Lady's response to browsers. Sadie had to agree.  
  
The shops around them had thinned and fallen into slight disrepair as they made their way to the bank. When they reached it, Sadie wasn't even sure it was the right place. From the outside, it was nothing more than a wooden shack with a dingy sign in front with BANK painted in peeling white letters. The shack had a doorway (with no door, naturally), and upon poking her head inside, Sadie found that a dreary looking staircase leading underground was the only thing to be found. She stepped tentatively down with Lupin close behind. When she reached the bottom she found a heavy wooden door with intricate designs, and, with cautious delay, she pulled it open. Sadie was astonished to find that it led into a clean, well-lit room with walls lined with vaults and rolling ladders on either side. Sadie couldn't be sure of the depth, but the vaults looked about the size of shoeboxes. There was a long, low desk in the very back of the extensive room. Behind it sat three robed people, who were all bending over somewhat cluttered stacks of paper, scribbling away.  
  
Sadie and Lupin approached them on tiptoe, rather like you would in a library.  
  
"Excuse us?" said Lupin to the older man on the left side.  
  
He glanced up from his papers, just long enough to notice anyone was there. "Yes?" he said, still looking down at the stack and scrawling feverishly.  
  
"We'd like to make a withdrawal. From Sadie's account." he said, pointing his thumb at his companion.  
  
The man glanced up again, this time at Sadie. Then, after one last scrawl, he put down his quill and stood up. "Your hand, please, miss,"  
  
Sadie held out her hand not knowing what to expect. The man pulled out his wand and tapped each fingertip and the middle of her palm. Each spot he touched glowed orange for a moment before fading away. He held his wand out in front of him and let go. It floated in midair for a moment before zooming around the room until it stopped suddenly near the top right corner of the left wall. The others took no notice whatsoever.  
  
The man nodded with satisfaction and walked to a nearby ladder, which he climbed about halfway and pushed toward the vault. He climbed up to it and called down.  
  
"Young lady.name please?"  
  
"Um, Sadie."  
  
He gave her a somewhat annoyed look. "Your full name."  
  
"Oh, Sadie Alexis Riddle." Out of the corner of her eye, Sadie saw each of the people at the front desk glance up in alarm, then continue their work, same as before.  
  
Meanwhile, the man who was helping them had repeated her to the door of the vault, which promptly swung open. "How much would you like to withdraw?"  
  
Sadie looked at Lupin and shrugged cluelessly. Lupin called up to the man, "Ah.enough to cover five years at school and then some?"  
  
The man nodded and conjured a fairly large cloth bag, filling it. "Look out below!" said he as he dropped it to the ground. It landed with an echoing clunk. He climbed down and turned to Lupin, since Sadie had walked off to get the bag. "Will that be all?"  
  
Lupin shook his head and thanked him, and with Sadie, climbed up the stair and went back outside. Sadie weighed the bag in her hands in wonder. She hardly knew where to begin.  
  
"Let's get your robes," Lupin said, eyeing Sadie cautiously and starting to walk toward a shop called Robes for Young Rogues.  
  
Rhoda Rodenshire, the owner, was an angular witch with sleek black hair in a long braid down her back. She led Sadie to a small room in back to get her measurements.  
  
"Alright dear, what are you looking for today?" Rhonda asked when she finished sizing her.  
  
"Well, um, you see." Sadie had no idea.  
  
"Seven ankle length, black work robes. And one black pointed hat if you have them. Oh, and a winter cloak. All Hogwarts' standard," said Lupin, poking his head in. "And dress robes. Whatever kind she wants."  
  
Rhoda nodded and walked out past Lupin. Sadie watched Lupin, who had leaned against the wall next to the door. He looked up and caught her gaze. She smiled cheerily and twiddled her thumbs. He scoffed good-naturedly at her and returned his gaze to the door.  
  
When they were done there, bag in hand, they headed over to a general magical equipment shop, a bit like the Muggle Wal-Mart Sadie frequented, which sold the cauldron, phials, telescope, scales, protective gloves, basic potion ingredients, and large trunk that Sadie was told she needed.  
  
Sadie was getting a little worn out, so she suggested they sit down in the little food court at the end of the road. Lupin readily agreed, so they ordered milkshakes and sat at a table.  
  
"Are you allowed to bring pets to Hogwarts?" queried Sadie after a bit.  
  
"Yeah, and that reminds me, we have to stop by that one place." Lupin responded, stifling a laugh.  
  
Sadie grinned and finished her milkshake with a slurp. "Let's do that last. What else to we have to get?"  
  
"Your wand and all your school books. Ready to go?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They found a large, round, low-roofed shop called simply Raye Books. They walked in and Sadie was confronted by a view of more books then she had ever seen before. The only other person in the bookstore was a slight girl with cinnamon colored hair and squoval glasses who looked about Sadie's age, engrossed in a rather thick novel.  
  
Sadie approached her quietly. "Excuse me; do you know where the clerk is?"  
  
The girl looked up, startled. She bit her lip. "/I'm/ the clerk. Could you not tell Uncle Raye I was reading instead of watching for customers? He wouldn't like to get another complaint about me," she said with a very British accent.  
  
Sadie grinned. "Oh, don't worry about it. I like to read a lot too," she held out her hand. "I'm Sadie Riddle."  
  
A startled look crossed the girl's face, but she made no comment. After a moment she shook her hand, grinning, and said, "Emma Kathryn Melody Walker, at your service. At least until summer's over," she added, rolling her eyes. She caught sight of Prof. Lupin. "Hiya, Professor, what can I help you with?"  
  
Lupin, who had been watching from a distance, answered her. "I've got a list here of a bunch of books she needs. There's quite a few, so I'm not sure if you'll have them all."  
  
She nodded. "We'll have 'em. C'mon, I'll help you find them all."  
  
It took them a good hour to get all the books Sadie needed. By the end, Sadie and Emma were good friends. Sadie found out that Emma lived in England and was sent by her parents to spend the summer in America with her aunt and uncle, to "learn some responsibility" by helping out at the bookstore they owned. Emma said that she liked it all right, since she got paid, but it was kind of boring so she ended up reading instead of paying attention to customers. Sadie listened with interest and told her a bit about what it was like growing up in America. Emma was happy to find it wasn't altogether different from England.  
  
Lupin finally had to tear them apart after they had stood at the counter talking for an additional half-hour.  
  
"C'mon Sadie, we're not done yet."  
  
"Ok, Professor, I'm coming. 'Bye Emma."  
  
Emma waved at them as they walked out and returned to her novel promptly.  
  
"So, next is my wand right?" questioned Sadie.  
  
"Yes, the place to get it is right over there," Lupin said, pointing.  
  
The place was called Canagin's Wands. A spindly-looking old man met them at the door.  
  
"Buying a wand today, are we?"  
  
Sadie nodded. "My first."  
  
The man smiled, which sent uncomfortable goose bumps crawling on Sadie's arms. "I am Canagin. Come in."  
  
He had Sadie sit on a stool and hold out her writing arm. Then he unrolled a piece of measuring tape and dropped it on the floor. Then he went off among the rows of shelves with narrow scarlet boxes. He spoke, grabbing boxes as he did.  
  
"No two wands are alike, the same with the witches or wizards they are destined for. We use a wide variety of woods and lengths of the wood for our wands. For the core, we use vampire fang, werewolf hair," Lupin looked up with more interest, "phoenix feather, dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, and veela hair. Each is equally powerful, but may have different strengths in certain combinations of wood and length."  
  
While he was talking, the measuring tape slithered up the stool leg and began measuring Sadie all over, including around her head, between her ribs, and the length of the second toe on both feet. Canagin came back with a tall stack of boxes. With a snap of his fingers, the measuring tape crumpled to the ground and wound itself back up. Then he opened a box and handed the wand inside to Sadie.  
  
"Oak, veela hair, 9 ½ inches, very rigid. Wave it around."  
  
Sadie did so and it was swiftly taken from her and a new one placed in her hand. "Redwood, phoenix feather, 7 inches. Try...."  
  
This was repeated several times with no results. Canagin gave her one with a curious look on his face.  
  
"Hmm.white pine, werewolf hair, 11 ¼ inches. Nice and whippy. Never know."  
  
Sadie took it in her hand, noticing the strange warmth it exuded at her touch, and waved it over her head. As she brought it down, small purple butterflies erupted from the tip and flew up to the rafters.  
  
Canagin was ecstatic as he wrapped it in tissue paper and put it in the box. After they paid and left, Sadie and Lupin made a beeline toward the first shop, Pet Parade, and the lady was overjoyed to see them again.  
  
"Ah, so you're back! You've gone everywhere else I see. So, which animal would you prefer?"  
  
"A tarantula."  
  
"A tarantula?" The woman looked apprehensive. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yep. What do I need to take care of it?"  
  
The lady gave a lengthy explanation as Sadie looked at the tarantulas on display.  
  
"Is there a book for that stuff?"  
  
"Yes, there is. Free manual with the pet."  
  
The spiders were in diverse sizes and shades of brown with varying degrees of hairiness. There was one in particular that caught her eye. It was a rosy brown, smallish, and it seemed to be looking at her. She waved, and it appeared to her to wave back.  
  
"I'll take that one," she said to the clerk, pointing.  
  
"That one there?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Sadie watched as the lady pulled on a thick glove and reached into the cage. It let her pick it up with no problems and patiently let her stick it into a transport cage. It watched as Sadie purchased the rest of the things she needed. Sadie picked up the cage, and with Lupin's help, carried all of her things back to the Inn, and then back home.  
  
The next day Lupin arrived, right on schedule. Sadie had spent the rest of the previous day looking through her books and marveling over the things they talked about.  
  
"So, what's first? And what do I call you?"  
  
"Since I'm not really your teacher I suppose you can call me Remus. And I thought we'd start with Potions, after I explain a few of the specifics of Hogwarts to you."  
  
"Alright, /Remus./ So.."  
  
"So.." Remus explained to Sadie about the Houses, Sorting, Quidditch, and mostly the classes. In such detail, in fact, that Sadie felt like she had already been to Hogwarts. When Remus finally finished, it was already time for lunch. Afterwards, he started the actual tutoring. Sadie was proud to tell Keith and Janet later that day that she got along pretty well. 


	3. Conflict of Blood and Bearing

Chapter 3-Conflict of Blood and Bearing  
  
A/N: A large thank you to Tris, you are the best friend a girl could have. And thank you to all of those who have followed her wonderful advice and reviewed by story.  
  
"Now remember Sadie, stir counter-clockwise."  
  
Sadie gave him an exasperated look. "Remus, I /know/. And besides, you're not supposed to help me."  
  
Remus sighed. "I know, but its one week until you go off to Hogwarts. You want to go with a reputation for good grades, don't you?"  
  
"Uh, yah. But these are _exams_. So bug off."  
  
Remus glared at her playfully. But he did "bug off" as requested. Sadie thought her cold cure or Pepper-Up Potion turned out rather well. Remus had had the sniffles all week so he decided to use it as the exam. When she was done, he got a glass and gulped some down. Smoke immediately began billowing out of his ears and he stopped sniffling on the spot. He beamed at Sadie, who was trying to decide if she should laugh at him or cough at the smoke, and jubilantly exclaimed, "Perfect!"  
  
***  
  
Sadie had never been so nervous or excited in her life. It was five minutes until Remus would arrive with her ticket for the Hogwarts Express. Then they would go to King's Cross, a train station in Britain, and then go to Platform 9 ¾. Sadie couldn't sit still.  
  
She heard a pop from just outside the front door. "He's HERE!!!" she called as she made a beeline to the door. She could hardly contain herself as he handed her the ticket. "Let's go!" she pleaded.  
  
Shaking his head amusedly, he followed her to the living room where Keith and Janet were standing.  
  
"We wanted to see you off," Janet explained.  
  
Sadie gave each of them an uneasy hug and turned to Remus. "Ready?"  
  
He nodded. "This time we'll go to Diagon Alley," he informed her, handing her the familiar cloth bag. She took it, and with one last sad little wave at her soon-to-be-former guardians, Sadie left her old life forever.  
  
The two wended their way through Muggle London to the train station. Sadie didn't know what she would have done if Remus hadn't been there. Sadie reflected on this as they wended their way through the crowded station. He was actually a lot like a dad to her, or an uncle or big brother. He acted a lot like a big kid sometimes anyway. Sadie laughed to herself as she remembered one lesson when they were transfiguring piglets into whoopee cushions, "just for the fun of it", he had said. Not soon enough, they reached the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. With a deep breath and a nudge from Remus, Sadie closed her eyes and stepped through. When she opened her eyes on the other side, she was filled with awe. A large crimson train was before her, with lots of young people like herself with their guardians bustling about. Remus joined her promptly and grinned. "Nice to be back."  
  
"Remus!" shouted a young man with messy black hair across the room. He jogged up to Remus and gave him a hearty handshake.  
  
"Harry! Nice to see you again!"  
  
The boy he called Harry faltered when he saw Sadie. He smiled almost shyly and turned to Remus. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"  
  
Remus laughed lightly. "Sadie Riddle, meet Harry Potter. Harry's the kid I told you about. Harry, Sadie has been transferred to Hogwarts."  
  
Sadie blushed as she shook Harry's hand. "Hi."  
  
Harry, when he heard her name, had a concerned look on his face, or so it looked, Sadie wasn't sure. "Hi. Do you know anyone around here? I could introduce you."  
  
"That would be great, thanks."  
  
Harry nodded toward the trolley she was pulling. "Want me to get that?"  
  
"Oh, you don't have to-"  
  
"I insist."  
  
Remus pulled Sadie aside. "This is where I leave you. I'll try to be at your Sorting, and I'll be visiting every so often. Have fun," said he, holding out his hand. Sadie ignored it entirely and gave him a hug. She waved as he walked back through the barrier. Then she turned to Harry. He ran his fingers through his hair, unconsciously exposing the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.  
  
"C'mon, let's get your stuff to the train."  
  
"Ok," she said, looking for a moment at his scar, "Thanks, by the way."  
  
Harry nodded, loading the last of her things, "Oh, no problem, I was gl-"  
  
"EMMA?" Sadie exclaimed; Harry was suddenly shoved out of her focus. She ran up to her friend, who had just become visible in the crowd.  
  
"Oh my goodness!!!!! Sadie! I didn't know you were coming to Hogwarts!"  
  
Sadie laughed out of sheer bliss. "I got transferred! I didn't know you would be at Hogwarts either!"  
  
"This is so totally awesome!!!"  
  
"I know!"  
  
"Oh my gosh!"  
  
"How did the rest of your summer go?"  
  
"It was such a drag! It would have been so much better if I had known you were coming!"  
  
Sadie laughed and climbed aboard the train. They continued chatting and laughing as they looked for an empty compartment. They finally found one half ways through the train. They barely had a chance to sit down before there was a knock at the compartment door. It was opened before they had a chance to answer and a blonde-haired boy with two gorilla-looking boys gathered their persons in the doorway.  
  
The blonde one gave Sadie a sickening-sweet simile. "Hi there. I haven't seen you around." he drawled.  
  
Sadie was surprised at his lack of tact. "I would expect not, I was just transferred. I'm Sadie."  
  
"Draco Malfoy. They," he said, gesturing to his minions, "are Crabbe and Goyle."  
  
Sadie nodded at them. "Nice to meet you all." Then she heard a welcome voice behind them. It was Harry. "Who are you bothering now, Malfoy?"  
  
Malfoy turned around and sneered. "What's it to you, Potty?"  
  
"Hi Harry!" called Sadie. Then she turned to Draco. "You'll excuse us won't you? Thanks. It was nice meeting you."  
  
Draco nodded numbly and cast a menacing glare at Harry as he left. Sadie happened to glance at Emma, who was giving the same look to Draco as Draco was to Harry.  
  
"Problem?" Sadie asked.  
  
"I hate him. Everybody does. Unless they're in Slytherin." She glared as she spoke.  
  
Harry, hearing the last sentence, nodded darkly, but then brightened up considerably as he beckoned to someone outside the door. A tall, lanky, red-haired boy and a shortish girl with bushy brown hair appeared beside him. "Sadie, I'd like you to meet Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Sadie just transferred to Hogwarts."  
  
Hermione and Ron smiled brightly. "Nice to meet you," they said together.  
  
Hermione sat down next to Emma. "I've seen you around, haven't I? Emma, right?"  
  
Emma nodded warmly. Then Hermione turned to Sadie. "So how do you like it here?"  
  
"It's pretty cool. There are so many cute British guys!! Way more than in the U.S."  
  
Upon hearing this extremely girlie talk, Ron and Harry turned to each other and started talking extremely boyish talk.Quidditch of course. Time went by quickly on the way to Hogwarts. Sadie could tell she had been inducted into a clique. And she couldn't ask for better.  
  
They got off the train and got onto gloomy-looking carriages. The ride in them was uneventful except that Rosy, or so Sadie's tarantula had been christened, escaped from her cage (the lid wasn't on tight) and decided to give everyone a surprise introduction.  
  
The carriages lead straight up to the huge doors of Hogwarts' Castle. Sadie was astonished by the sheer size of the place. They got inside and Sadie got her first glimpse. In the Entrance Hall there was a huge staircase, dozens of torches, and a high, high ceiling. Sadie saw a dark- haired, shrewd-looking woman ushering a large group of what looked like 12 year olds into a room off to the side. After a minute she came out again and walked directly up to Sadie.  
  
"Miss Riddle?" Sadie faltered under her critical gaze. "Y-e-es?"  
  
"Come with me please."  
  
Sadie looked confusedly at Emma and Harry, who were not much help, as they gave her equally puzzled looks.  
  
Sadie joined the younger kids in the room. They were all shuffling around looking extremely nervous. Sadie didn't like to look at them. The woman that brought her faced her and leaned towards her.  
  
"I am Professor McGonagall. Since you are being transferred you need to be Sorted..."  
  
"Oh!" Sadie lit up. So that was all! "I already know."  
  
McGonagall raised an eyebrow at her and then shrugged. "Alright." Then she walked out of a side door in the room, all the little people trailing behind her. Sadie made her way to the last spot in line. As they filed through the door, Sadie had to gasp. She had never seen such an awesome looking place. There were four long tables decked with gold dishes, candles suspended in midair above the tables, and a starry ceiling.which Remus had told her was enchanted to look like the sky outside. It was cooler than she thought it would be. In the back of the room was a raised table filled with adults in various shaded robes. At the left end of one table was Remus, cheerily looking around. Sadie caught his eye and waved, which he returned. Sadie couldn't help but notice that more pairs of eyes than normal were following her. Great.  
  
The Sorting ended up being exactly how Remus described it, with the exception of Sadie's own Sorting, considering he didn't know what to expect and therefore didn't bother trying to speculate a description at all.  
  
McGonagall had finished the first years and turned to Dumbledore. He stood up and raised his hand for attention. Sadie noted that everyone looked surprised. She supposed they didn't get transfers very often. Once Dumbledore was sure he had everyone's attention, he gestured Sadie to come to the front, obviously so everyone could see her. Sadie's stomach dropped to the floor as she smiled weakly at the some 200 curious eyes gazing at her.  
  
"This year we have the pleasure," said Dumbledore, smiling around the room, "of taking a new scholar into our ranks. I would like you to meet Sadie Riddle," a ripple of whispers went through the crowd but stopped abruptly as Dumbledore raised his hand again, "who has transferred here from the United States. I would ask that you treat her as though she has always been here. Professor McGonagall?"  
  
McGonagall turned to Sadie and beckoned her toward the stool with the hat on it that the others had previously used. Sadie timidly approached it and pulled on the tattered hat.  
  
Oh really.how very interesting.quite a conflict. whispered a small voice in her ear.  
  
Um.hi, she thought in response.  
  
Hello. Do you have any preferences as to which house? You aren't especially brave.you are very loyal to your friends but not enough not to stick up for what you believe in.overall your characteristics suggest Ravenclaw.  
  
So what's the problem?  
  
Your bloodline strongly suggests Slytherin.  
  
Sadie snorted. I would prefer not.I'd go with Ravenclaw.  
  
Are you sure?  
  
If it's that or Slytherin, very much so. That Draco kid is annoying.  
  
Sadie wasn't sure, but she thought she heard the Hat laugh before calling out RAVENCLAW!  
  
Sadie took off the Hat and climbed down from the stool. Emma, at the far end of one of the middle tables, was signaling feverishly to the spot beside her. Sadie took a deep breath and scurried to sit down.  
  
"Three cheers for Sadie!" cried Emma with a grin.  
  
Sadie looked daggers at her and then gave her a crooked smile. "Don't you think I've have enough attention for today?"  
  
Emma laughed and turned to her plate. Dumbledore, seeing that Sadie was safely seated, waved his arms placidly and declared "Tea Stel!"  
  
Much to Sadie's delight, the golden dishware around her filled with piles of unimaginably tantalizing-looking food. Sadie didn't realize how hungry she was until that moment and afterwards wondered if she would ever be hungry again. Upon completing the meal, the plates were magically restored to their original gleam and the students got up and left for their rooms. Sadie shuffled behind Emma, attempting to pay attention to where they were going to find it again. Left turn, first door on the right, end of the hall right turn, up the staircase, middle door.Sadie gave up after a bit; the heavy meal was slowing her thought process. Not soon enough, they reached a large tapestry of a forest scene. An older girl at the front of the group announced to it, "hippogriff's beak!" The tapestry melted away, exposing a large door. The girl opened it and walked inside.  
  
"Girls on the left, boys on the right. Hope you like it here, you'll be hanging around for a while."  
  
It was a well-furnished room with plush, navy blue armchairs and a large fire in the hearth, merrily crackling. There were bronze sculptures of proud-looking birds on either side of the fireplace and elaborate portraits of stately figures adorning the walls. In various places around the room were golden-brown, low tables with wooden benches to match. Sadie knew she would enjoy her stay here immensely.  
  
Emma tapped her on the shoulder and nodded towards the door labeled "GIRLS". "C'mon, let's go to bed," she entreated, yawning loudly. Sadie smiled sleepily and nodded. The girls' door didn't lead to a bedroom, but to a hallway, with seven numbered doors. Emma went directly to door five and opened it, revealing a comfortable-looking place with high iron beds and prim nightstands to match. Each bed had a trunk at the end of it and Sadie could see Rosy's transport cage on top of the farthest one. The bunks had blue bedding, the same shade as the couches in the Common room.  
  
"Welcome home," smiled Emma.  
  
Home. 


	4. Cystic Fibrosis

Chapter 4-Cystic Fibrosis  
  
Sadie slept very well that night. She woke up to Emma staring at her intently a few inches from her face.  
  
"EEK!" Sadie jumped.  
  
Emma thought it was hilarious. "Time to get up. We have to go over to the Great Hall if we're gonna get breakfast," she said between laughs.  
  
Sadie stretched and got her robes out of her trunk and, drawing the curtains around her bed, dressed. She thought it was a shame to always have to wear black to school; it made walking down the hall look like a funeral procession. She told Emma her concerns as they walked to the Great Hall. Emma, the good friend that she was, agreed whole-heartedly.  
  
"That's why I always get the most fashionable Muggle clothes during the summer. Andrew would think I was weird if they weren't."  
  
Sadie quirked an eyebrow. "Andrew?"  
  
Emma turned scarlet. "Oh, h--he's my boyfriend."  
  
"Boyfriend? Woo-woo!"  
  
Emma whacked Sadie on the arm reproachfully. "You be quiet!"  
  
"Ok, ok. What's he like?"  
  
"He plays football and he hangs out with all the jocks, but he has a very appealing weakness for literature. He's smart too, but book-smart, not common sense. He's stupid in that light, which actually makes him funny, but without meaning to be, ya know what I mean?"  
  
"Yeah. What's he look like?" asked Sadie as she opened a door to the Great Hall.  
  
Emma grinned sheepishly and reached into her robes. She pulled out a Muggle picture of an adorable guy with ebony-colored hair, dark grayish- brown eyes, a melting smile, a really nice tan, and Emma attached to him at the hip.  
  
"He gave me this before I left."  
  
Sadie's eyes grew wide. "Lucky girl! MeeeOW!"  
  
Emma laughed and pulled out a chair. Sadie pulled out the one next to her just as Harry pulled out the one on the other side of Sadie. Emma looked puzzled.  
  
"Lost?" she said with a tone of kind-intentioned mockery.  
  
Harry gave her a give-me-a-break look and turned to Sadie. "Hi."  
  
"Hi," Sadie said, looking at him sideways.  
  
Harry smiled bravely and got up rather quickly and strolled off for Gryffindor table. Emma gave Sadie an indescribably exasperating look. "Awwwwww!!!!!!"  
  
"What?" Sadie asked incredulously.  
  
"That was so cute! I never would have thought Harry would like you!"  
  
"WHAT?!?!" repeated Sadie, more incredulous still. "Harry does not like me. He just came over to say hi and maybe talk but saw that we were talking and did the gentlemanly thing and went away!"  
  
Emma smirked. "If you say so."  
  
Sadie held up her hands and finished her cinnamon toast. There was no use in arguing this early in the morning.  
  
A short wizard called Emma from the teacher's table. Sadie saw him hand her a stack of papers and, it seemed, instruct what to do with them. She walked back over to Ravenclaw table and passed them out.  
  
"Our new schedules, I'm a prefect so I have to hand them out," she explained briefly when she gave Sadie hers.  
  
Sadie looked over it with interest until Emma came back.  
  
"You have Magical Linguistics first too, right? Ok, come on, I know where that is." Sadie was quiet as she followed Emma down long halls, through dozens of doors, and up and down several staircases. They were both at least a little worn down when they reached the class. Half of the seats were already taken and a low buzz of chatter filled the room. Sadie and Emma had no chance to join because a tall, slim, extremely well dressed woman with soot colored hair down to her hips swaggered in. She had an angular face and a good figure, but something about her told Sadie she would not enjoy this class.  
  
The woman looked down her nose at the occupants of the room with an air of arrogance that you would use among a bunch of people whose IQ was negative. "Take out your textbooks and turn to the first section," she said in an annoyingly stately and regal voice. Sadie, remembering that she was the teacher, did as asked.  
  
"We will be studying Merit. J wonk hoi Professor Becton. Gen fogged droop aft choragi ewe crew j mage. Gen fogged yogh raw outfit like tads."  
  
The class stared at her in the same way.Huh???  
  
The woman put on very snobbish airs and smirked at their ignorance. "I said, 'My name is Professor Becton. I will tolerate no high jinks in my class. I will only warn you this once.'"  
  
Sadie couldn't help but scowl. /I wonder who spit in _her_ Corn Flakes./ Professor Becton unluckily noticed it. "Is there a problem, Miss.?"  
  
"Riddle. No, there isn't a problem. Not one that I wouldn't get disciplined for mentioning."  
  
Becton studied her closely for a moment and then sneered. "Very well," she nodded and turned to the rest of the class. "First we will start on the Mer-ish alphabet. Then pronunciation. Then conversation. Any questions?" There was a silent chorus of shaken heads. "Good. Su, Ner, Ver."  
  
Sadie took notes with obvious resentment. She was trying to keep herself from imagining the perfect method of torture for someone with a silver spoon shoved up her butt.  
  
Hardly soon enough, class ended. "I am totally going to hate that class," moaned Sadie as soon as she escaped.  
  
Emma agreed. "Too bad we can't switch out, it's a required course. What have you got next? Herbology? We'd better hustle, it's outside and it looks like rain."  
  
Hustle they did and got there with due speed. Herbology was taught by a plump, cheery witch with rather frazzled hair and the perfume of damp earth about her named Professor Sprout. She instructed them on the care of Rolocers; spiky, dull-colored plants that they were informed were used only in potions for hair dye. Sadie enjoyed the lesson, but the walk back to the castle was one to be loathed. The wind had begun to howl and there was a light drizzle. They had nearly blown over when a booming voice came behind, or above rather, them. A very hairy, very large personage loomed over them.  
  
"'Ard walkin', eh? C'mon, yeh kin walk behind me where the wind in't quite so bad." Sadie found his huge countenance hard to get one's bearings adjusted to, but finding out from Emma, he was as kind as he didn't look and worked and lived on the grounds. He was also a good friend of Harry's gang.  
  
Once they were inside, he turned around and shook Sadie's arm.  
  
"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds and Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Jest Hagrid ter most. Yer that new one, eh? Sadie or summat? Nice ter meet yeh. Bin wondrin' when 'Arry would introduce me t' his new friend so I s'pose now he don' need ter. Well, I'll see yeh 'round I guess, got an errand for the Headmaster."  
  
Sadie's brain hadn't been working quite up to standard since her meeting the kind-hearted giant of a man, so she could only peep out a bewildered good-bye.  
  
"I will never be surprised after /this!/"  
  
Emma laughed. "He does tend to surprise you, doesn't he? Not that he could sneak up on you, you'd see him coming a mile off!"  
  
They kept walking, panting after a bit, since it /was/ an awfully long way, until they reached a circular trap door with a silver stepladder. There was a plaque next to it that read "Sybil Trelawney, Divination Professor". Sadie and Emma exchanged amused looks as Emma pulled open the door and started climbing up. Suddenly, Emma choked as the sickly sweet air inside the heavily perfumed room with the drawn curtains and the chintz chairs washed over her. She was clutching her chest as she coughed horribly and leaned against the wall. She clambered back down the stepladder, gasping for breath. Then she resumed coughing so hard and wheezing that she nearly retched. Professor Trelawney jumped down the stepladder and leaned over Emma, who had just reached in her robes for a Muggle inhaler. Professor Trelawney was quite pale, as was everyone else in the class.  
  
"It's going to be alright. I'll take you to Madame Pomfrey; she'll have a look at you."  
  
Emma could only cough in reply. Sadie put her arm around Emma's shoulders and tried to calm herself down. "Where's the nurse? I'll take her there, Professor, so you can keep teaching."  
  
Sadie walked with Emma, arm still around her shoulder, half for support, half for comfort, to where Trelawney had directed her.  
  
Sadie knocked smartly on the door, labeled "Madam Pomfrey: Infirmary". "We need some help!!!"  
  
Madam Pomfrey came to the door. "Emma! What happened?"  
  
"My CF couldn't handle divination," Emma said with an airy laugh. Then turning to Sadie, she explained, "Cystic Fibrosis."  
  
(A.N.-A big thanks to 'Nilla. Couldn't have done it with out you!)  
  
"What?" Sadie asked, totally nonplussed.  
  
"Cystic Fibrosis," Emma repeated, sitting on one of the beds. "It's a genetic lung disease I have."  
  
Sadie quirked an eyebrow. "That doesn't tell me much."  
  
"Fine, have it your way," Emma replied, turning her head away as she coughed again. "If it grosses you out, don't say I didn't warn you. Anyway...with CF, you have way too much mucus in your lungs, and it's really thick too, so I have to do therapy at least twice a day to help loosen things up."  
  
"And therapy would be..." Sadie prompted, when Emma didn't continue.  
  
"Oh, lots of stuff--I do an inhaler, I do a PEP--this thing that I blow into and it opens my airways--I do the equivalent of a Muggle nebulizer, sometimes I come up here and Madam Pomfrey gives me Chest Physical Therapy, which is when she pounds on my back to loosen stuff up. That's why I was up before you this morning--I'd just finished therapy."  
  
"Anything else I should know?" Sadie asked, not quite sure how she felt about all this new information about her friend.  
  
"Yeah," Emma said. "There's another part to CF--there is thick mucus in the rest of the body too, so it doesn't affect just my lungs. In CF, your pancreas is also clogged, and so the body can't digest food well. I take these little digestive enzyme pills after I eat, and that helps, but since my body still doesn't absorb nutrients that well I have a hard time gaining weight."  
  
"So...is that all?" Sadie asked.  
  
"Almost," Emma replied. "Are you bored or something?"  
  
"Almost," Sadie mimicked. "No, go on, I'm fine."  
  
Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat before Emma could continue. "Excuse me for a moment," she said with a tiny smile. "I'll go mix up your next nebulizer, Emma. You should do one now, see if that helps, before going back to Sybil's."  
  
Emma nodded, and then turned back to Sadie. "As I was saying, there's one more thing you should probably know about CF. There are a bunch of bacteria that people with CF can get but people without CF are immune too. The most common one is Pseudomonas (Soo-duh-MONE-us). Once you have Pseudomonas, it never goes away--just kind of dormant for a while. Most of the time, once you have it, you have to go in four times a year and get a "cleanout", which is a three or four week cycle of IV antibiotics. I had my first cleanout last month, which is amazing since normally you get Pseudomonas when you're like seven, and it was so weird because I was hooked up to this IV line for four weeks. I got a lot of attention, which I didn't really want. I probably won't have to go in quarterly yet, but I definitely will in the future."  
  
Sadie blinked. "Oh."  
  
Emma laughed. "Don't worry, you'll get used to the idea."  
  
When they finished, lunchtime had already rolled around. They had a pleasant meal and pleasanter company, namely Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They told Emma and Sadie that they were in Divination with the Ravenclaws and wondered where they were. Emma gave them a condensed explanation and they were nearly as stumped as Sadie was.  
  
"Do any of you know a big hairy guy named Hagrid? Emma and I met him today on the way back from Herbology," asked Sadie, by way of a casual change of subject.  
  
Harry looked pleasantly surprised. "You know Hagrid? We're all good pals. We've been up to his house for tea lots of times."  
  
Sadie put her chin in her palm, her elbow propped on the table and looked inquisitively at her friends. "What's /tea/ like?"  
  
Their conversation immediately launched into a discussion of the finer points English normalcy. Sadie head was still swimming when she and Emma reached Charms. It was taught by the Ravenclaw teacher, Professor Flitwick, a short little wizard with a very squeaky voice who was, overall, comparable to an elf.  
  
He announced at the beginning of class that they were going to start learning about the Cleaning Charms. The class was only slightly interested until Flitwick told them to trash the place. With an almighty cheer everyone started the Garbage Wars. Papers were thrown across the room; desks turned over, bookcases totally disheveled. Draco kept throwing paper balls at her, but he was easily ignored. In fifteen minutes the room could get no worse. The students stood around the perimeter of the room and gradually turned their heads towards Professor Flitwick who stood on his desk, which was difficult considering the slew of stuff all over it.  
  
He glanced around the room at the expectant young faces surrounding him. Then, he raised his wand, and in a squeakily yelled, "SPLOTISIO!" There was a great whoosh and Prof. Flitwick toppled off his desk while the entire room seemed shake and everything inside whirled around and around until, as suddenly as it had begun, the room stopped and everything was back in its place. There was silence for a moment until there was one, then two, and then the whole group of students was applauding the bruised professor. He took a slightly exaggerated bow while still nursing his sore head.  
  
"Alright class, you've seen what you can do. Now get out your ink bottles and pour some one your desks. Then, nice and easy now, say, 'Splotiso!' with the -is- nice and long. If you have any problems, just come and ask. Now, hop to it!"  
  
With that, the class flew to their seats and ink was quickly all over the classroom. A few people got it once or twice, but then they purposely dumped it again and then couldn't get it cleaned up again. In the end, Professor Flitwick had to clean up, but at least they got another demonstration.  
  
Sadie and Emma's next class was Potions. The air around them gradually became colder as they traveled father and father under the school.  
  
"W-what kind of freak is this guy?" shivered Sadie.  
  
"You'll s-see soon enough," responded Emma grimly.  
  
They reached the classroom just as the black-haired teacher in front was standing up.  
  
He glared up at them. "I do not tolerate tardiness in my classroom."  
  
The bell sounded on his last syllable, just as they slipped into their seats.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir," stated Sadie dutifully, gazing straight into his cold black eyes.  
  
He glared down his nose at her and turned to the class with an irritated air. "Well, get out your books!"  
  
There was a shuffle and then piercing silence once again.  
  
"Miss Riddle, I am Professor Snape," he stated in deathly quiet.  
  
Sadie looked up and peered at him. "Nice to meet you," she rejoindered calmly. Snape didn't respond.  
  
"We will be concocting the Exegir, found on page 574," he informed the class curtly, "It has the effect of making the one who drinks this elixir have the appearance of natural attractiveness for approximately five hours, depending on the need." He sounded bored, but the class was hanging on his every word, especially the girls. He glanced around the room with cold amusement. "Get into partners and prepare it. You may keep a medium-sized vial." There was a murmur of excited approval throughout the room. Sadie turned to Emma.  
  
"This is really cool, but I can't help but feel like this is very out of character for him."  
  
"Yeah, maybe. But so what? I'm gonna try and save some extra for later, not just a 'small vial'." Emma was obviously ecstatic at the prospect before her. Sadie decided to be wary nonetheless.  
  
"Boil 5 liters water rapidly."  
  
"Check. Keep at a rolling boil while gradually adding six diced slugs. Yuck."  
  
"Check. Um, good luck with this one. Seven drops black widow venom."  
  
"Oh my gosh, eew, here we go. The next one is the first shedded skin of eight rattlesnakes, cut into strips. It's supposed to turn banana yellow now."  
  
"Ok, it did. We let it stop boiling and then put in nine alligator tears.ok."  
  
"Ha hah! How are ten toad eyes for ya?"  
  
"I've got an even better one. /One clod dragon feces."/  
  
"Ugh! Don't make me gag! I hope we don't have to drink this.Oh my goodness! No way! 'Spit twice into potion while stirring slowly'! I hope you brushed your teeth this morning."  
  
"Of course I did! Okay..now stir it in really good, and then sprinkle thirty dried flies' wings overtop. "  
  
"Alright, now we have to put two fingernails and two toenails in it, so one each. Here, you can borrow my clippers."  
  
"Thanks. Eew, they splashed! Um, now we need to stir continuously for five minutes with a braid of unicorn hair and a horn. We can do both at once, can't we?"  
  
"We should be able to. Ugh, I can feel all the stuff sitting on the bottom in there. Oh, look here. It says we use it like soap or bubble bath. That is going to be so gross!"  
  
"I know! I'd have to wash afterwards too so I would actually feel clean, especially with the dragon poo!"  
  
"Oh no! We /can't/ wash it off! It won't work then! Look, it says it real small by the picture."  
  
"Greeeaaat. Ok, I think we've stirred enough, I can't feel the chunkies in there anymore. Let's take 'em out."  
  
The instant the unicorn horn and hair left the surface of the mixture it turned a shimmery pastel purple with streaks of off-white. Sadie got out her ladle and poured it into the two ladles that Emma held. It was awfully thick.  
  
"It looks like marble."  
  
"Yeah kinda. Are you gonna try yours right away?"  
  
"No, I'll save it for a special occasion."  
  
"Attention class! We need to clean up in the next five minutes, so wrap it up!" Snape called from the far corner of the dungeon.  
  
"Professor, we're done. Does it look right?"  
  
Snape glided over and peered down at them. "Might perhaps be acceptable."  
  
Emma looked to Sadie, astonished. "Sadie, I think he meant it was perfect. Otherwise he for sure would have pointed it out."  
  
"Whoa," was Sadie's only reaction. She still couldn't help but not be very believing. 


	5. What's in a Name?

Chapter 5-What's In a Name?  
  
Their next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor. Sadie and Emma told Harry and the gang about Potions class. They had already has that class so they knew all about it. Their conversation ended as the teacher walked in.  
  
She was as tall and erect as one of the marble pillars in the Entrance Hall. She had long, silver hair that fell past her waist in shimmering waves and clear, sea-blue eyes set in a white, exquisite face that seemed to have no age. Her expression was pleasant, but Sadie detected an air of melancholy about her that was as distinct as the strange pearl green patterns sewn into her long snow-white robes. She moved swiftly across the room and sat down at the large mahogany desk and waited for a moment as a few late-comers slid into their seats.  
  
"Good morning, class," she said in a voice that was at once very thin and very strong. "I am Professor Winsbree. Today we will begin the study of trolls. Please open your textbooks to page one thousand two hundred twenty- three."  
  
They learned the habits of trolls for the rest of the period. Although trolls are known for their lack of grace and refinement, they were almost made to seem so through Professor Winsbree's gifted teaching. She showed them their devotedness to their offspring, their stalwartness and strength. When they had a few minutes left, she handed out a worksheet and instructed them to do it for homework. Then she went to her desk and let them enjoy some free time. Sadie watched out of the corner of her eye as Winsbree picked up the attendance and looked it over.  
  
Professor Winsbree paused as she read a name towards the bottom. Had she read right? She pulled a pair of dainty bifocals out of her desk. There it was. /Sadie Riddle./ Could she be-? Winsbree looked up.  
  
"Sadie?"  
  
Sadie faltered. "Yes ma'am?"  
  
"Could you see me for just a moment after class?"  
  
Sadie furrowed her brow. "Okay."  
  
At the end of class, Sadie packed up her things and put them on her desk.  
  
"I'll wait for you outside," assured Emma, the good friend that she was.  
  
Sadie approached the desk timidly. "You wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yes, I was wondering, is that your real last name? Riddle?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Would you happen to be related to a Thomas M. Riddle?"  
  
"If I am I don't know it. I'm-I'm an orphan. My parents died when I was a baby."  
  
Winsbree flushed. "Oh, I'm so very sorry."  
  
"No, it's ok, no one really knows, except for Professor Dumbledore."  
  
"I see. If you don't mind my asking, where do you stay during the summer?"  
  
"Oh, well, you see, I'm in the custody of the school now. Before I was in a foster home."  
  
"Ohhh, I understand. Well, I guess you had better go to your next class. Would you like a pass? I expect you'll need one for your friend too."  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Here you are. See you later."  
  
Sadie filled Emma in on what happed, except for the parts of being in the custody of the school. She wasn't positive if Emma would understand, considering Emma looked mildly uncomfortable at what little Sadie did tell her.  
  
"I wonder who Thomas M. Riddle /is/," Sadie thought aloud.  
  
"I bet no one /really/ knows," Emma said quickly. "Let's go see what's for dinner."  
  
"Ok." Emma was thankful that Sadie took no mind to the sudden change in subject. Everyone was touchy when it came to You-Know-Who, especially since last year when Cedric was killed. No doubt it would mortify her if she knew that everyone thought she might be related to the most evil wizard of their time.  
  
"So.uh." Sadie asked hesitantly. "What did you think of Professor Winsbree?" "I like her," said Emma, her thoughts very obviously elsewhere.  
  
They reached the Great Hall without any more talk-Emma was lost in her own thoughts, and Sadie was still puzzling about Thomas M. Riddle. Professor Winsbree /must / have made a mistake, she thought. Everyone knows I've got no living relations.  
  
After dinner, they and most of the other students at their table left the Great Hall and progressed to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Sadie and Emma sank into two navy armchairs in a dim corner of the room, neither of them feeling much like mingling with the other House students.  
  
"When do you have to do your evening therapy?" Sadie asked as a means of forcing conversation.  
  
"Sometime," said Emma vaguely. "I normally do it later, after most people have gone to bed."  
  
"Oh," said Sadie, racking her brains for another topic.  
  
"I might do it now, though," Emma continued, sounding as dull as Sadie felt.  
  
"Oh," said Sadie again. "You know, Emma--can I--I mean, would you mind if I." she hesitated.  
  
"If you what?" Emma asked, turning to look at her curiously.  
  
Sadie colored. "I mean--I was just wondering, sorta, how it /feels/ to have Cystic Fibrosis--I mean, I'd hate it if I was sick all the time--"  
  
Emma laughed, and didn't sound half as bored as she had before.  
  
"Get this straight," she said mock-sternly. "I'm /not/ sick all the time. I thought I told you that before-in fact, I'm rarely sick at all."  
  
"Oh," said Sadie, trying to pretend to understand completely, but failing miserably.  
  
"Well, OK, put it this way," Emma said, reading the look on Sadie's face. "I may not be as healthy as you, or him over there--," gesturing to a third- year student deep in conversation with a few of his peers- "But I'm certainly healthier than the average person with CF. I mean, seriously-- most of the time you have to go every three months to the hospital and get IVs. I'm /nothing/ like that bad. I just do therapy as kind of a.preventative treatment. For what /could/ happen, not what /is/ happening."  
  
"Oh, OK," said Sadie.  
  
"But as to how it feels," said Emma, enjoying the topic, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I dunno," said Sadie, becoming interested. "Just, what do you think when you wake up in the morning and remember, Hey, I have CF?"  
  
"I think, Great, I have to get out of bed and do my nebulizer," said Emma, giggling.  
  
Now it was Sadie's turn to fake sternness. "Really, Miss Walker," she said, giving Emma a look reminiscent of Professor McGonagall. "But seriously," she asked after a moment, "What does it feel like?"  
  
"Most of the time it feels.normal," said Emma. "I mean, normal to me. I have no idea how it would feel to /you./ But since I've always had it and always will, it's just a matter of routine. Sometimes, though, it's a bit depressing. This may sound silly, but." she blushed. "I hate being shorter than everyone else," she admitted. "I feel stupid ordering the first and second and third and fourth years around when the majority of them are about a foot taller than I am. And sometimes, if I'm having a particularly bad day, my evening therapy will keep me up to all hours. That's not fun either-most nights I'm no better than when I started and it just makes me cross the next morning. And then I hate the way some people treat me like a porcelain doll, like I'm going to break if dropped because of that whatever-she-has that no one can pronounce." Emma took a deep breath and gave a small smile. "Thanks for letting me tell you that."  
  
"Thanks for /telling/ me that," said Sadie sincerely. "I didn't--I mean, I couldn't--" she reddened and stopped.  
  
"Couldn't tell it was like that?" said Emma. "No one /can/ really. Just like I can't tell what it would be like /without/ it. I consider myself a fairly normal individual, but when I look at all the other /really/ normal individuals out there I can't help but wonder what it feels like to be able to breathe without ever worrying about what you might be breathing in, or out, or feeling obstruction or pain when you breathe. Not that I have a hard time breathing or feel pain a lot-but sometimes I do, and it's just a part of life. Having occasional difficulty or pain when I breathe is as normal as eating three times a day to me, but it'd majorly freak some people out if it happened to them."  
  
"Yeah, I know," said Sadie, thinking back on the numerous foster homes she had been through-they had seemed to be part of her normal life, "as normal as eating three times a day", but now she realized how different it really was from "the other /really/ normal individuals out there".  
  
"Sorry for getting so caught up in it," said Emma apologetically. "It's just that I can't really talk to anyone here about it."  
  
"No, its fine--really," Sadie said feelingly. "I know-I mean, I think-" Sadie sighed. "What I mean is, I think I understand." She stared moodily at the carpet. Then, glancing at her watch, she added, "It's late. You'd better get to the hospital wing."  
  
Emma studied her for a moment. "Yeah."  
  
Emma was gone for about an hour. Sadie waited up for her in the Common Room, reading over the chapter on trolls that Professor Winsbree had assigned them. Reading straight from the textbook was much duller than listening to Professor Winsbree describe their peculiar habits.  
  
When Emma returned, she, too, was carrying /An Advanced Study of Dark Creatures/ under one arm. Thumping her book on the table, she said, "Come on, I'm exhausted."  
  
Sadie followed her up to the dormitory, where they silently climbed into bed and pulled the navy-blue draperies.  
  
"Good night," Emma whispered from inside her cave-like enclosure.  
  
"Good night," Sadie replied with a yawn. Then she compulsively pulled open her curtains. "Emma?"  
  
Emma opened hers also. "Yeah?"  
  
Sadie looked at Emma intently, and then shook her head. "Nothing. Good night." 


	6. Woodhouse and Werbles

Chapter 6-Woodhouse and Werbles  
  
The next morning Sadie woke up to find Emma's bed empty with the exception of a scribble pinned to the pillow.  
  
Sadie-  
  
B back after therapy. U may want 2 go 2 breakfast alone.  
  
-Emma  
  
Sadie was discomfited at the thought of going to the Great Hall alone, considering she did not yet know the way. So she decided to sit in the Common Room until Emma was done. She waited...and waited....and waited. Sadie propped her elbow on the plush arm of the chair and rested in chin in her cupped hand. She was not yet used to the early mornings. She drifted off for a few minutes before she woke with a start at the closing of a door. She glanced around the room and found the source. A young man, tall, scrawny, blonde, and shy-looking, had stepped out of the boy's area.  
  
"Sorry if I startled you," he apologized.  
  
Sadie smiled sleepily at him. "Thanks for waking me."  
  
Their conversation would have ended there had not the blonde boy paused at the exit to the Common Room.  
  
He gazed at her for a moment, brow furrowed. "Have you gotten breakfast yet?"  
  
"Oh, I'm waiting for someone."  
  
He glanced at his watch. "They're probably down there already, there's only ten minutes left."  
  
Sadie stood up in alarm. "Ten minutes?!? I can't find my way down there /that/ fast," she cried mournfully, and flopped back down.  
  
He studied her for a moment, looking indecisive. "You wanna walk with me? I could show you."  
  
"You would do that?" Sadie replied hopefully. In response to the boy's nod, she jumped up and nearly skipped to the door. "Ok."  
  
"I'm Kevin by the way."  
  
"Sadie."  
  
The whole way there they walked in awkward silence until they came to the doors of the Great Hall.  
  
Not looking at her, Kevin mumbled, "See y'round."  
  
"Bye," responded Sadie, a little perplexed at the whole experience.  
  
---  
  
Sadie would have welcomed some perplexity in History of Magic. Professor Binns was easily the dullest person (not that a ghost would really be considered a /person,/ even if he was one at one point) she has ever encountered. She thought perhaps if he even smelled strange it would have been easier to pay attention to his lecture on whatever he was droning on and on about. Sadie amused herself writing a note to Emma about that morning's little adventure.  
  
Emma,  
  
Hi, how're you? I was really mad at you this morning for not being there to walk with me to breakfast, but it gave me opportunity to expand my social horizons so to speak. I waited for who knows how long for you in the Common Room and dozed off in front of the fire. This Kevin guy woke me up and walked me to the Great Hall. He didn't talk to me the whole way down there. I wonder what was up. Well, I better go before Snooze Man over there catches me. Talk to you later.  
  
-Sadie  
  
Sadie folded the note and passed it furtively under her desk to Emma. Emma, looking straight ahead, took the note from her and unfolded it in her lap. She read it nonchalantly and glanced up at Sadie to give her a barely intelligible shrug.  
  
Their next class was Care of Magical Creatures with the "big hairy guy named Hagrid". He greeted Sadie and Emma warmly when they approached his hut with their fellow stragglers.  
  
"Sadie! Emma! Nice ter see yeh. Would yeh mind volunteering yerselves ter take 'round the boxes in back? Thanks."  
  
Sadie and Emma walked around the back of Hagrid's hut and found four large crates, with loose lids on each. They each picked up one and walked around front. On their second load, the lid on Emma's crate slid off and a small, furry, purple kitten-like creature poked its head out.  
  
"Werb?" it squeaked, looking around.  
  
"Awwww!" cried Emma as she sat the box down and held out her hand for the creature to sniff. Hagrid came around the corner.  
  
"C'mon Emma, got ter introduce them ter the rest of the class too."  
  
Emma peered into the box at several other creatures similar to the one she was stroking. They were different colors and had various other limbs. One fluttered its little wings; another wiggled its toes on its webbed feet.  
  
"What are they?" Sadie said softly, picking up her crate and bringing it around front, with Emma trailing behind her.  
  
"Everybody gather 'round. I'd like yeh ter meet a litter of Werbles." One by one Hagrid pulled out the cute little creatures and set them down. The Werbles looked at one another and the students, and then proceeded in romping in the grass. Everyone thought they were adorable.  
  
"Yer ter keep after 'em each class and learn ther ways. Go ahead an' pick one and get ter know it. You'll have till the end of class ter decide. Get in ter partners, s'not enough ter go 'round otherwise."  
  
Sadie sat in the grass with Emma, watching the Werbles tumble about, trying to get an idea of their personalities. As they watched the group of them and her peers interaction with them, Emma pointed out a neon purple one with white splotches and a claw tail. It circled the group, watching from the outside in. Sadie got up and walked softly towards it. It shied away from her for a moment until she held out her hand and sat down a few feet away. It watched her for a moment and padded over to investigate. It let Emma pick it up and it huddled in her arms.  
  
"Hagrid? We picked ours."  
  
"Good. A'right, time fer yer next class, gather 'em up and put 'em in the crates before yeh leave. Yeh'll be learnin' lots more 'fore we're through."  
  
Walking to their next class, Runes, Emma asked, "What are we gonna name her?"  
  
"We get to name them?"  
  
"Sure do. Any ideas?"  
  
Sadie thought for a moment. "Did you notice the white stripe on her head?"  
  
Emma nodded and thought a moment. "Angel then?"  
  
"Perfect."  
  
Runeswas informative, but the teacher, Professor Brodeur, sounded like an encyclopedia.  
  
"Runes are the ancient characters used in Teutonic, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian inscriptions. They were probably first used by East Goth wizards, who are thought to have derived them from Helleno-Italic writing, and through powerful magic, made them what they are today. Runes are adapted to carving on wood and stone and consist of vertical, diagonal, and a few curved lines. The first six runic signs are for /f, u, th, o (a), r, c (k),/ hence the name /Futhorc/ for the runic alphabets. There are two alphabets, one of 16 signs and the other of 24 (the same 16 with 8 additional signs). We will start with the Younger, smaller one, and if you take Advanced Runes next year, you'll learn the Elder, larger one."  
  
His lecture was frequently interrupted by remarks towards Draco and his horde, whose mischief was directed towards Sadie. Sadie chose to ignore them, but Brodeur was thoroughly annoyed with Draco by the end of class.  
  
After Runes was lunch, which wasn't exactly noteworthy. In contrast, their next class, Spell Creation, was exceptionally intriguing. Their teacher, Professor Armstrong, had them sit in alphabetical order. It was rather trying to many of the students' patience, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had that class also, because for the first time in their academic career, they were unable to sit together.  
  
Halfway through Professor Armstrong's explanation of the process of Creating spells, Ron raised his hand and waved it around.  
  
Armstrong looked at him over the top of her glasses. "Can I help you?" she asked archly.  
  
Ron put his hand down and looked around for a moment. "Well, err, my brother gave me a spell that I'd never heard of, and it didn't work. If I Created it, would it work then?"  
  
"Ask me again when we are in the lab," she stated, and continued orating just as though she had never paused.  
  
Their brains chalked full of new information, Emma and Sadie talked their way to Transfiguration, taught by Professor McGonagall. Sadie wasn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of that class, considering her first impressions of her.  
  
"Remus?" Sadie stopped dead in the doorway. "What're you doing here?"  
  
Remus looked at her pleasantly. "Nice to see you too. Professor McGonagall had business with the Headmaster, and asked me to fill in, since I was in the vicinity."  
  
"Well, cool! What're we doing today?"  
  
"Nothing, really. She said she'd just do whatever she was going to do next class."  
  
"Oh, ok. Better and better."  
  
The class trickled in and greeted Lupin warmly. "Hey, it's Professor Lupin!!!" "Hiya Professor!" "Cool! He's back!" were among the comments made.  
  
Sadie stuck around with Remus after everyone else left, since Emma had gone to the library to read up on Spell Creation. Sadie made herself comfortable on a desk.  
  
"So, how's it going?"  
  
"Fairly well, and you?"  
  
Sadie smiled and shook her head. "Too bad I wasn't here when you were teaching full time."  
  
Remus chuckled. "Not that I was really teaching full time, I had to take a break every full moon."  
  
"True."  
  
"I enjoy teaching, however, so it's nice to be back, even if it's just substituting. The students, of course, are the biggest perk. It's so refreshing to interact with so many intellectual young minds. Adults are so boring."  
  
Just then, Kevin poked his head in. "Ah, Kevin," smiled Remus. Remus turned to Sadie. "Sadie, this is Kevin--"  
  
"We've met," interrupted Sadie. Kevin smiled hesitantly.  
  
Remus looked surprised. "Oh, okay. Kevin needed a little extra tutoring in Mer-ish, for his exams, since they always do so much review."  
  
"Oh, really? I could use some help too, if you can?  
  
"That would be fine; I'm sure Kevin and I could use some company."  
  
"Great! I'll see you tomorrow then, Emma's probably done."  
  
"See you later."  
  
***  
  
Sadie found Emma in the library, poking around. "Hey you."  
  
Emma glanced up. "Hello. Come help me find a good book."  
  
This was no easy task, as at least ninety-five percent of the books were academically themed. However, they did find one that interested Emma.  
  
"You do realize that that's 2500 pages, don't you?"  
  
"Mm-hmm."  
  
"And that it's about a village of /tiny blue gnomes/ of all things?"  
  
"Mm-hmm."  
  
"That are attacked by a dark wizard and his insane cat on frequent occasions?"  
  
"Mm-hmm."  
  
Sadie sighed as Emma plunked the book on the check out counter. "So you're actually gonna check it out?"  
  
"Mm-hmm."  
  
Sadie looked at the cover critically. "Can I borrow it when you're done?"  
  
Emma grinned.  
  
Madam Pince read the cover. /"Smurfs: What the Muggles Don't Know/.... interesting."  
  
***  
  
After dinner Sadie and Emma went to the Common Room and took their normal seats.  
  
"You know how to play wizard chess?" Emma inquired after a few minutes of silence.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"You wanna learn? You can't be a self-respecting magical person if you don't know how to play wizard chess."  
  
Emma taught her until Astrology called them away. Sadie summed that up well. "Stargazing with Slytherins. /Ugh/." Throughout the evening, even with the various distractions, a thought nagged at the back of Emma's mind. Sadie was going to tell her something last night. And it was something Emma needed to know. 


	7. Unions and Reunions

Chapter 7-Unions and Reunions  
  
A month later, Emma woke up to the sound of Sadie's horrified gasp.  
  
"Sadie? What's wrong?" asked Emma sleepily.  
  
Sadie pointed a shaking finger to Rosy's cage. "I just figured out why I got all that free stuff...she's--"  
  
"Sleeping, maybe?" Emma said, rubbing her eyes and hopefully tapping on the glass. But there Rosy was, just lying there. Sadie washed her hands and slowly opened the lid. She reached in, and picked her up. Rosy didn't react. Nothing.  
  
"Oh, Sadie, I'm so sorry."  
  
Sadie looked at her spider for a moment and returned her to the cage. "I--I guess the only thing we can do is have a funeral," she said distantly.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
That evening, with a spoon borrowed from the Great Hall, they buried Rosy.  
  
***  
  
Emma thoughtfully doodled with her finger on the bedspread, watching Sadie finish her homework. It was growing colder, the autumn months slowly drifting into winter. Halloween's delights had passed, Emma and Sadie (mostly Sadie) told Harry, Ron, and Hermione all about Thanksgiving in the U.S.; now it was nearing Christmas, and, Sadie's birthday. Emma had been brainstorming and all she could think of gift-wise was another pet. It was obvious that Sadie missed having one. But how could Emma get her one? That question would have gone unanswered had it not been for Remus.  
  
It was a few weeks before Sadie's birthday when Remus found both she and Emma roaming the halls and asked to speak with them a moment.  
  
"I've talked it over with the Headmaster and he thinks it would be alright, with another adult. I still have to find someone to volunteer...anyway, what would you girls say to spending the day...an entire twenty-four hour period mind you...at Hogsmead?"  
  
"You mean it?" said Emma ecstatically. "That'd be so awesome!!!"  
  
Sadie looked at Remus blankly. "Where?"  
  
Lupin looked at Emma accusingly. "Badly done, Emma! You never told her! Oh well, I guess I will. The older students get to go to this all- wizarding village, Hogsmead, every couple months. There's joke shops, candy shops, an old haunted place...it's really quite a lot of fun."  
  
Sadie thought a moment. "Cool."  
  
Remus beamed and clapped his hands. "Right then. Emma, I need to talk to you about arrangements for your therapy--"  
  
"Oh, I thought you might say that, I have a portable nebulizer, I can get it now--"  
  
"Actually, there's some other things." Remus eyed Sadie.  
  
"Oh, well, um, ok." Emma looked perplexed. "Sadie, would you do me a humongous favor and run up to Madam Pomfrey's and ask her for my portable nebulizer and an extra bottle of enzymes? And anything else I should take?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Ok, Professor, what's going on?" asked Emma as soon as Sadie left. "I know you're cooking something up. And it's about Sadie."  
  
Remus glanced down the hall. "Well.I wanted to get her a birthday present, I know her birthday's coming up, but I don't know how I would get it without her suspecting too much, and I want more for her than just a full day at Hogsmead."  
  
"So you want me to distract her while you go shopping," finished Emma.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"I'd be happy to help." They both beamed.  
  
Everything went according to plan. Sadie thought Hogsmead was heaven on earth, and she never found out about Remus's and Emma's plan. A week after Hogsmead, on her birthday and just before Christmas, Sadie found a holey box on her bed. Inside, she found a blue card, a little blanket, and a tiny orange kitten with white stripes, sleeping soundly. Sadie gasped and the kitten opened its big intelligent eyes, blinking from the change in light.  
  
"Mrow?"  
  
Sadie scooped the kitten into her arms and picked up the card. It read:  
  
To Sadie:  
  
Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas from your two favorite people in the world. We know you'll take good care of little Marmalade.  
  
Emma Kathryn Melody Walker  
  
Prof. Remus Lupin  
  
Sadie looked down at her new kitten tenderly. "Marmalade."  
  
Marmalade looked up at her and purred.  
  
***  
  
/Sadie saw a pretty young woman and a young man, holding hands and standing directly in front of her, looking at her and smiling. /  
  
/My parents... thought Sadie. Sadie's mother held out her arms and Sadie ran to her. But there seemed to be an invisible wall between them and Sadie could get no closer than arm's length. /  
  
/Her mother looked sad and bent close to Sadie's ear./ I miss you, /she said./  
  
/Sadie's father was still standing next to her mother. He laid a hand on Sadie's shoulder and furrowed his brow./ Don't trust him, /he advised./  
  
/Don't trust who? Sadie thought, but the words would not come out./  
  
/An inky, black mist crept up from the ground, obscuring Sadie's parents from her view. It enveloped her and Sadie couldn't even see her hand in front of her. She could hear her parents calling her from through the mist; she tried to go toward their voices, but they seemed to get farther away. Sadie gazed around hopelessly. She saw a figure through the mist and ran a few steps toward it. But she saw that it was neither her father nor her mother, but the same hideous black-robed figure she had seen once before./  
  
Where are they? /she cried, but the man did not answer, only walked slowly closer. Sadie tried to back up, but some hidden force rooted her to the spot. The man drew near enough for Sadie to hear him breathing-ragged, inhuman breaths. He reached out and snatched at her, but Sadie recoiled and stepped back. He pulled back his hood and Sadie saw it was not the same face she had seen before, but a grey misshapen face with repugnant skin stretched over empty eye sockets. Then there was the mouth..gaping and appalling, searching for her. Sadie screamed and backpedaled, falling down. /  
  
She hit the ground and her eyes snapped open. The blankets were coiled around her tightly, the sheet around her neck. She tore loose and stood up. It was just after midnight in late February; everyone still slept soundly. Sadie sat on her empty bed and held her head in her hands. She leaned over to the other side of her bed and stroked Marmalade for a moment. Taking a deep breath she quietly reassembled her bedding and lay back down. Sadie lay awake for a while, grateful that no one else was awake and asking questions. She was only partially right. Emma heard her scream and the thump as she hit the floor. She peeked through the curtains and watched a badly shaken Sadie get back into bed. But Emma chose not to investigate, not this time. She had seen Sadie wake up from nightmares from time to time, but none of them had her shaken this badly. Emma decided she would wait until morning and see if there was still something wrong.  
  
The next morning Sadie was actually up before Emma, a bad night's sleep evident in her eyes; she was edgy and quiet.  
  
"Are you ok, Sadie?" Emma asked, linking her arm in hers as they made their way to breakfast.  
  
Sadie sighed. "Yeah, I just didn't sleep well."  
  
"Did you have a bad dream or something?" Emma pressed.  
  
Sadie looked at Emma, studying her. She decided it was just a lucky guess. "Yeah, but I'll be ok."  
  
Emma watched her a moment. She dearly wanted to comfort her, but didn't want to pry. "Alright." But it was only after dinner that Emma thought Sadie seemed like her normal self.  
  
Sadie and Emma frequently saw teachers heading towards their respective offices when they themselves were through with dinner and wending their way towards the Common Room. That night was no different. They saw Professor Winsbree and stopped a moment to talk to her.  
  
"Hi Professor!"  
  
Winsbree looked back. "Oh, hello girls," she responded wearily.  
  
"Is something wrong Professor?" asked Sadie. "No-yes--I don't know, probably. I've just been realizing lately that it's only February, instead of June like it feels like it should be. I'm tired, I guess."  
  
While she was talking, it occurred to Sadie that Winsbree, although for the most part retaining her ageless aspect, was looking a little old. After they departed from her, Sadie mentioned it to Emma. Emma hadn't noticed, but commented on her perpetuality. She had always been fascinated with it.  
  
Professor Winsbree did not /feel/ ageless however. It had been a long time since she had felt young. She needed something she could not have, nor could she name what she needed. She sighed and settled down for a long night of grading papers and not being able to concentrate because she was feeling sorry for herself.  
  
It was nearing two when Sonora glanced up at the creak of the door. She stared in disbelief at the man in the doorway. /Could it be?/  
  
"Sonora, it's me." She gasped and ran into his outstretched arms.  
  
The older man at the door brought her close and whispered in her ear. "Oh, my dear, dear Sonora, how I have missed you." He held her tight and rocked her back and forth as a tear ran down his cheek.  
  
"Tom, Tom, Tom. I can't believe you're back." Sonora smothered her face, streaming with tears, in his chest.  
  
He let go of her and dried her eyes. "I'm going to do now what I should have done so very, very long ago." He bent down on one knee and took her hand with beseeching eyes. "Will you marry me?"  
  
Sonora gasped and cried afresh. "This is what I have always dreamed would happen! Yes!!!"  
  
Tom smiled wistfully as he got up and looked deep into her eyes. "If it was only so simple." He sighed heavily. "But it's not. So many things have changed since we last met. You must help me with something.something very important and likely difficult for you to understand."  
  
"Anything my love," she vowed passionately.  
  
He smiled down at her and stroked her cheek. "I hoped you would say that. You know I have no family, correct?"  
  
Sonora nodded perplexedly.  
  
"That is not necessarily true. My father, the Mudbl--Muggle, left my mother immediately after he found out she was a witch. He remarried and had children. I have a great-half-niece. She too has no family, her parents having died. I am her only living family, but she doesn't know. I want to surprise her and I need your help getting her to a specific location. Do you think you can help?"  
  
"I can try. But how can I help? Who is this child?"  
  
"Of course, I haven't told you. Her name is Sadie Riddle."  
  
Sonora blinked. "Sadie.So it wasn't just a coincidence." she said quietly.  
  
Tom nodded. "Many would have thought so. So can you help me?"  
  
"I'll do anything you want me to."  
  
Tom eyes smiled. "I know." He pulled her close again. "I know."  
  
***  
  
It was a week later that Sonora began carrying out the plan Tom had devised.  
  
Sonora met Sadie on her and Emma's way up to they Ravenclaw dormitory again. "Ms. Riddle?"  
  
Sadie turned from Emma. "Oh, hello Professor."  
  
"Would you please accompany me to my office?"  
  
Sadie looked worried and glanced at Emma.  
  
"Don't worry; I just want to discuss that test we took today." Sonora internally winced. That had sounded too recited.  
  
Emma piped up. "Sadie, I was gonna go to bed anyway, I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Sadie was a little more at ease. "Oh, ok. See ya."  
  
As Sonora escorted Sadie to her office, she reviewed the plan. She could hear Tom saying it in her mind. /Take her to your office.chat with her a little.be sure she doesn't suspect _anything._ Give her this./ Sonora fingered the vial in her pocket. /She'll go to sleep and we'll take her home and tell her./ She heard Tom's chuckle in her memory. /She'll be so surprised./  
  
Sonora shook her head to clear the reverie and unlocked her office door.  
  
"Take a seat," she said cordially as she gestured to a chair.  
  
"Thanks." She was looking around curiously.  
  
Sonora pulled a paper out of the stack on her desk. "This one's yours." It had a 68 written in red near the top.  
  
"Oh my goodness!!!" choked Sadie.  
  
Sonora nodded. "Exactly. Did you take notes during those lectures?"  
  
Sadie reddened. "N--no, actually, I was--" she cleared her throat. "Ill. If you know what I mean."  
  
"I see." Sonora's face softened. "Would you like me to discuss the section with you and retake it?"  
  
"Sure! When?"  
  
"We can do it now if you'd like." In response to Sadie's eager nod, she collected her own notes from around the room, purposely finding most of them next to a pitcher of iced pumpkin juice. She sighed dramatically.  
  
"Kind of warm in here, huh?"  
  
Sadie nodded again indifferently, her attention having returned to the knickknacks on display around the room.  
  
"Would you like some pumpkin juice? Nice and cold."  
  
"Yes, please." Sadie was studying a paperweight on the desk.  
  
Sonora discreetly poured the contents of the little vial from her pocket into Sadie's goblet. "Here you go. Now then, wood fairies."  
  
But Sadie had already taken a sip. She looked at the goblet quizzically for a moment, but then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and the goblet fell onto the desk, soaking many papers. Tom stepped out of a darkened corner.  
  
"Well done, my dear."  
  
"But look at all these papers!"  
  
Tom smirked and withdrew his wand, muttering a few unintelligible words under his breath. The spilled juice evaporated in seconds, leaving the papers unharmed.  
  
"Thank you, honey."  
  
He ignored her and turned his wand to Sadie, again mumbling a few words only he could hear. Sadie's body hovered in the air, glowing an eerie green.  
  
"Ok, step two." Tom said looking steadfastly at Sadie's closed eyes.  
  
***  
  
Sadie slept long; it was late into the next evening when she finally woke. Sadie blinked at the bright sunshine coming through the window. Sadie looked quizzically at the curtains. /Green? I thought they were blue.../Sadie's eyes opened wide as she threw off the covers and jumped out of the unfamiliar bed she had slept in. Sadie looked around. The bed was not the only unfamiliar thing. Sadie stood in a large room, adorned with very dark wooden furniture and rich greens. Sadie fingered the nightgown she wore. Of the softest satin and the deepest forest green, it reassured that she was anywhere but where she should be. Sadie sat in a plush wing backed chair next to the fireplace and a little table. If only she could remember...she held her head in her hands. Professor Winsbree...a test...pumpkin juice...none of it made sense to her. Sadie automatically reached for her wand as the door creaked open. But of course, it was not there. Professor Winsbree stood there, holding a tray of food.  
  
"Good morning, dear. How did you sleep?"  
  
Sadie gasped out "Professor?"  
  
Winsbree smiled and set the tray on the table. "Eat up; then we'll talk." She left the room again.  
  
Sadie eyed the tray. She had no appetite; she was too bewildered. Winsbree came back with a chalky-green robe draped over her arm. "Why, you haven't touched it, have you? Come, come, you must eat something."  
  
Sadie sipped her milk and pretended to cut her meat. She changed into the new robe left for her after Winsbree left again. When she returned, she looked quite excited.  
  
"Now, Sadie, I have a surprise for you..."  
  
Sadie interrupted. "Haven't I had surprises enough? Waking up here, seeing you, it's already too much, and then you want to go and add to it?"  
  
Winsbree twisted her hands. "Well...it's a much /better/ surprise..."  
  
Sadie flopped into the chair. "Just tell me where I am and you can surprise me all you want."  
  
Winsbree crouched next to the chair Sadie sat in. "You won't have to be in the custody of the school anymore! You've got a family! Well, a relation in any case. He brought you here! Oh, "here" is a splendid castle a hundred miles north of the school. No one can see it though, not unless they've been inside. I didn't until your uncle took me inside. And you're to live here! Isn't that splendid?"  
  
Sadie stared. Then she snorted. "Oh, yeah, ok, that's just funny. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed to see if I can wake up from the /weirdest/ dream I have ever had."  
  
Winsbree smiled patiently. "But, sweetie, this isn't a dream." She grabbed Sadie's hand. "Come, he wants to see you right away!" Winsbree drug Sadie into the hall and pranced a few steps down the hall.  
  
"Come on, slow-poke, don't you want to meet him?"  
  
Sadie stepped cautiously behind Winsbree's light hearted dancing. A relation? It was unheard of! And yet, Sadie had learned that in the magical world, anything was possible.  
  
Winsbree led Sadie onward until they reached a heavy pair of oaken doors.  
  
"He's in there, come on!" Winsbree grabbed Sadie's hand once more and led her inside. 


	8. Loyalty

Chapter 8-Loyalty  
  
The room held a long, long table with expert designs and beautiful chairs. A wave of homesickness for the Great Hall washed over Sadie. At the far end of the table was an older man, his hands clasped in front of him. His knuckles were white.  
  
"Tom dear, here she is! Sadie, this is...let me think...your half-grand- uncle."  
  
Tom rose and marched to Sadie. Sadie saw his wrinkled face held dark amber eyes that were moist. "Sadie Alexis Riddle. My only living kin..." He kissed her forehead.  
  
Sadie furrowed her brow. "My half-great uncle?"  
  
He smiled and pulled out one of the many chairs for her. "Yes, let me explain. My father, a /Muggle,/ did not understand the ways of my mother, a witch. He left her before I was born, and she died just after my birth. I was very alone." Sadie's heart wrenched sympathetically; she nodded for him to continue. "My father, after leaving my mother, married again and had children. His son would have been your grandfather, and my half-brother. His son was your father. It is a sorrowful thing that I had not found you sooner."  
  
"So you are Thomas M. Riddle?" Sadie asked, glancing sideways at Winsbree. Tom nodded.  
  
"Are you, like, evil or anything?"  
  
Tom's amber eyes flashed, but he took a breath and Sadie was not quite sure his composure had actually changed. "Why do you ask, my pet?"  
  
"Well, whenever I tell anyone my name, they always get this look on their face, like there's something really /wrong/ with it. I know it can't be the Sadie, so it must be the Riddle. And families share last names...you're my only family...you know."  
  
Tom smiled. This time, Sadie was sure of a change in his eyes; a wicked pleasure filled them. "And they never said anything about it?"  
  
Sadie shook her head. "Never."  
  
Tom shrugged, his eyes still savoring something. "I cannot say I know what those you speak of think. But I will assure you, you have nothing to fear from me. Come, there is much to be spoken of." He offered her his arm. But Sadie hesitated. Something did not feel right.  
  
"Come child, we must speak." Tom said not unforcefully.  
  
Sadie looked at him a moment. "I--I can't. Dumbledore has custody of me. Will you please take me to the school, and come also? I want him to know. He'll be worried. And so will Rem--"  
  
Tom's expression had darkened considerably. "We will not go to the school now. Nor for some time. You must be brought to an understanding first."  
  
"Of what?" Sadie asked, defiant but fearful.  
  
Tom bore down on her. "Of your /destiny/," he hissed. He glowered at her and stalked out of the room. Winsbree, ever smiling and oblivious, put her arm around Sadie's shoulders and led her from the room.  
  
"Now, dear, you really must be sensible and listen to your uncle."  
  
Sadie looked apprehensively down the hall, where Tom was waiting.  
  
"Just give him a chance," urged Winsbree. Sadie nodded and allowed herself to be taken to the room Tom waited at. He opened the door for her, his kindly smile returning. The room he led her to, Sadie saw, was nothing less than a huge library. A hundred knick-knacks filled empty spaces that the thousands of books did not fill. There was a table surrounded by a few chairs that Sadie was asked to sit at. This she did, but still wondering what was to become of her. /Still,/ she thought, /if he is my great uncle or what have you, he needs to be shown respect, even if he _is_ bonkers. I'll humor him for a while./ Tom sat opposite of her, looking at her intently.  
  
"Sadie--do you wish for greatness? Something more than what has befallen you?"  
  
Sadie gazed at him curiously. "I--I suppose."  
  
"Do you have the ambition to go after a possibility that will bring you glory and power?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"What about your dreams? What are they?"  
  
Sadie thought a moment. "Well...I've always wanted a family. And to be accepted without question. Just because I don't know about my family doesn't mean there's something wrong with me." Sadie grew more animated, anger growing in her eyes. "I like being a leader and nothing standing in my way. I want to correct the system, to help me get what I want, not to keep me from it." Sadie grew less tense and sighed wearily. "Not that any of that is possible."  
  
Tom leaned closer. A smile played on his lips, his eyes malicious. "Oh, but it is. I am afraid that you know little of me, but I know much of you. Your best friend--Emma Walker. Your favorite pair of shoes-a pair of white tennis shoes. What you eat for breakfast every morning. 'How do you know?' you may ask. I have the power to know all, command all, and conquer all. Not even death stands in my way." Sadie held her breath. "And do you know how, my child? I will tell you. But first, I need to know your true prowess as a witch."  
  
Sadie looked at him quizzically. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
Tom drew his wand. "Imperio!"  
  
Sadie grew numb and felt like she was floating. A voice whispered in her mind. /Jump out the window.../  
  
Sadie almost moved her feet, but a thought suddenly occurred to her. Why?  
  
The voice spoke again, a little more forceful. /Go jump out the window./  
  
But I'll fall, thought Sadie, still resisting her feet's desire to move.  
  
/_Jump out the window._/  
  
She started to walk towards the window. No, she told the voice, I don't want to. That's a silly thing to do.  
  
/Go!/ "No!" The floating feeling escaped from her, she became aware of her surroundings once again. Tom was beaming.  
  
"Well done! You are a powerful young witch with much potential."  
  
Tom walked about the dimly lit room, stopping at the corners not taken by the fireplace and table. "Past," he said, picking up an ancient looking book. "Present," he continued, taking the globe from its holder. He eyed Sadie and plucked a single auburn hair from her head. She flinched, but he paid no heed. He held the hair between his fingers and examined it. "Future," said Tom in a whisper. He crept to the fireplace and threw all three in. Sadie watched, aghast, as they burned. Tom stared at them until they had become part of the fire itself. He drew out his wand and pointed it at the fire. He flicked his wand and the fire sprung from the hearth, into the air. Sadie gaped as Tom flew the fire around the room. Soon, dancing flames that burned nothing surrounded Winsbree, Sadie and Tom. Beyond the flames was an inky black mist. Tom, with his wand, drew away a little of the flame.  
  
"Now, Sadie, you will know me as the world knows me." He turned again to the flames and with his wand, wrote with the fire in the air above Sadie. Sadie read in horror.  
  
I AM LORD VOLDEMORT  
  
"It--it can't be!" Sadie was numb.  
  
"It is."  
  
"But Voldemort killed my parents..."  
  
Voldemort's eyes grew sorrowful. "Yes...I told your father the same things I am telling you. Of what he could become. But he would not conform, and so I had to give him death. Your mother, I also offered the world, but she was too wrapped up in her wishes for other things. She did not realize that nothing other than what I was willing to give to her mattered. They would have served me well." He looked fondly at Sadie. "But I see now that it has ended well, because you instead will be at my side. You, and Sonora, and I, will be a family, just as you have always wished.  
  
Sadie closed her eyes tightly. "Can I be left alone for a few hours?"  
  
Tom looked surprised. "I suppose you may." He thought a moment and nodded. "Yes, you must think on this. But I am confident that you will make the right decision. Sonora, will you please take her back to her room?" Sadie numbly followed Sonora to "her" room.  
  
Sadie collapsed back into the chair and stared into the fire, her mind exhausted. It wasn't long before her head drooped to her chest.  
  
/Everything was black, but Sadie heard voices screeching in terror.?  
  
?"I'll never join you! You may be my husband's relation, but you have no ties to me!" a woman's voice...Sadie's mother, screamed./  
  
/A cold voice, the same as the black-robed man's, whispered, "We shall see. Bring him in." Muffled speech could be heard, and her mother gasped./  
  
/"What are you going to do?" she asked fearfully./  
  
/There was a sneer in his voice as the man replied, "That, Alexis, is up to you."/  
  
/Another man, Sadie's father, called out suddenly. "Don't give in!"/  
  
/"Silence!" There was a burst of blinding green light, and a horrified scream echoed inside Sadie's mind. /  
  
Sadie woke with a start, breathing heavily. She had made her decision. She stared into the fire, wondering her fate, until Professor Winsbree and Voldemort arrived.  
  
Voldemort was smiling expectantly. "Well, I suppose you have been given long enough. Now, we have a lot to do so--"  
  
"I won't do it." Sadie still looked steadfastly into the fire.  
  
He blinked and retained his calm smile. "I assure you, you will."  
  
Sadie's gaze hardened as she turned her gaze to him. "No."  
  
Voldemort looked at her closely. "This is your last chance before I become angry. You /will/ join me."  
  
"Never. It would mean betrayal to my parents, and that it something I refuse to do."  
  
"But you do not know your parents--how can you betray someone you don't know?"  
  
/"Because it's thanks to you that I don't know them!"/  
  
Voldemort's eyes flamed to a ghastly red. Sadie, horrified, recalled her dream, so long ago. Voldemort pulled Winsbree to the door.  
  
"I am angered, but not yet unmerciful." He stepped beyond the door. "However," he sneered, "the time before midnight grows ever shorter." With his words, Sadie found herself tied to a hard surface in a cold, damp room with nothing in it besides what she lay on and a huge grandfather clock.  
  
Sadie looked in terror at the clock barricading the door. It was nothing like any one she had ever seen before; they were mostly beautiful antiques with warm hues. This one was in utter disrepair, the crude workmanship and crooked gashes in the timeworn wood giving it a ghastly effect. It's ticking was hollow and cold as it brought Sadie's fate ever nearer. Suddenly, Sadie shrieking in surprise, it chimed the 11th hour. The chimes were evil demons shouting of their ravenous state as they edged ever nearer to where she was confined. Sadie breath quickened as her fright increased in light of her impending doom.  
  
Down the stone hall in another room, lighted only by a low fire, were Voldemort and Sonora. Voldemort grimly gazed out the window into the bleak depths of the night while Sonora gazed at him anxiously, trying to get him to look at her.  
  
"Tom?" she said meekly. He made no reply.  
  
"Tom." she beseeched. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "What are you going to do with that little girl?"  
  
"My purpose goes beyond family ties. She will get in the way if I let her live."  
  
"How? She's only a chi--"  
  
"Only a child?" he spat, "And what would I do if I let her go? Wait around for her to tell the entire magical world everything she now knows?" he raged, "Not to mention when she reaches adulthood!" His gaze returned to the window. He now spoke quietly, reminiscently. "Revenge can do powerful things. I should know."  
  
"But so can love."  
  
Riddle snorted. "Love. Love is nonexistent. So is loyalty. And hate. And betrayal, and every other one of those 'ideas'. They are figments of the human imagination. I have said this all in the past. In this life, there is only power and those too foolish to search for it."  
  
Sonora's eyes grew wet. "Y--you don't mean that, do you Tom? There is love. You and I know that. Don't we?"  
  
Riddle got up and sat on the creaking sofa next to her. He whispered in her ear, his voice void of emotion. "No." He got up and walked out of the room, leaving Sonora to try and realize what he just said.  
  
***  
  
Cold beads of perspiration stood on Sadie's face. She shivered uncontrollably as the heartless tick...tock...tick...tock slowly drove her mad. She wriggled for a moment, trying to stop her shaking. She could tell the ropes that magically bound her were slowly growing weaker as her fate edged nearer. A single sob escaped her lips as she realized that soon they would be weak enough for her to break. Seconds too late.  
  
***  
  
Sonora sat stunned for a few moments. /He doesn't love me. He's going to kill Sadie because she's in the way since she won't do what he says. Because she knows too much./ Sonora experienced a mental jolt. /I know too much. He's going to kill me because _I know too much!_/ her mind screamed. With a gasp she flew to the door. She was capable of rational thought once again as she found the door unlocked. She turned around and leaned against the door, breathing heavily. She had to make a plan.  
  
***  
  
Riddle paced in his study, two floors above. He should have known Sonora wouldn't understand. Curse women! Though, he had hoped. He loved her so very much. But if she couldn't support him through this than he could have no use for her. That was just how it would have to be. Even so, his heart was still in torture as he collapsed into a chair and stared moodily into the fire, biding his time.  
  
***  
  
Sonora fingered Sadie's wand in her pocket; Tom had left it in the chair he had sat in. She had no idea which cell Sadie was in. Nor did she know where Tom was. She shook her head sadly. No, not Tom. Voldemort. Sonora sighed and returned her thoughts to finding Sadie. She glanced at her watch. She didn't have long. She ran down the corridor, searching for any sound. She stopped suddenly. There was a ticking. She followed the sound on feet barely daring to touch the ground. She put her ear to a huge door at the end of a dark corridor. Yes, the ticking was coming from there. But there was no handle on the door, only a tiny peep-hole. She looked through it, and saw Sadie. Her heart racing, she knocked softly on the door.  
  
Inside, Sadie jumped. It couldn't be now! It was at least five minutes before midnight. "W--what?" Her voice, like the rest of her, shook as she spoke.  
  
"Sadie! It's Professor Winsbree! We have to get out of here."  
  
"How can I trust you? You're the one who brought me here!"  
  
"Sadie, how can you not trust me?"  
  
Sadie took a deep breath. "We have four minutes." Then she pulled with all her might against the cords. One by one, they snapped.  
  
"Is there a handle on that side?"  
  
"There isn't even a door! There's just this big grandfather clock." Sadie began to examine the clock very close, looking for anything that resembled a handle. But there was nothing. "I don't see anything that looks like one." Sadie looked the clock top to bottom. /The pendulum./ She pulled open the pendulum chamber to pull on it, and found Professor Winsbree, standing in the hallway...but strangely, still in the clock.  
  
Professor Winsbree was smiling. "Nice work." Then she glanced around the room. "We'd better work with the window, we only have three minutes."  
  
The window was magically sealed, but Professor Winsbree got it open, using every spell she knew. They climbed out onto the sill.  
  
Professor Winsbree pointed her wand at a nearby tree. "/Accio/ branch!" A branch broke off and glided over. Professor Winsbree caught it easily. She touched her wand to one end. "Suratewin!" It had transfigured into a two-seater broom, which Professor Winsbree mounted. "Get on."  
  
Sadie scrambled aboard and they flew off into the night. Neither of them saw the dark figure run to the window and mutter under his breath, a slender stick in his hand.  
  
It was a desperate ride through the night for Sonora and Sadie. They sped through the sky, filled with adrenaline, taking every breath like it would be their last. The only thing on both of their minds was getting to Hogwarts Castle to find Dumbledore, before Voldemort found them.  
  
They did not waste their breath in cheering when Hogwarts came into view. Even if they had, it would have been short lived. The same second they saw the highest tower, the broom lurched and shuddered, then spun. The change in motion, too fast to react to, threw them both into the foliage below.  
  
Sadie fell slowly to the trees. She felt the damp leaves whip by, she felt her back hit a thick branch; it rolled her over. Then she saw the ground speeding to meet her. It was still a shock for when she crashed into it with a gruesome thud. Sadie had time to register that she was in pain. After that, it was only blackness.  
  
***  
  
Sonora came to with a start. She looked around her. The light was very dim in the forest around her, and nearly as dim in the small clearing she lay in. There was a howl too near not to make Sonora's hair stand on end. She got up painfully and pulled out her wand to put up sparks. But she did not find her wand, only two broken sticks with the glinting of unicorn hair visible at the ends. Sonora cursed and set off alone in the darkness, going the opposite direction of the howl. She took note of the full moon, hidden partly by clouds.  
  
***  
  
Sadie woke to find /everything/ hurt. She rolled over onto her back. She couldn't decide whether or not it made things worse, so she concentrated her efforts on getting up. She lifted her head to take a look at the rest of her. She groaned as she found her robes in tatters, long scratches down her legs and arms. Bruises covered 90% of her body. She shuddered as she comprehended she was lucky to be alive. But, as an unearthly howl sounded, horrifically close, she wondered if she thought too soon. She struggled to her feet and limped toward a tall tree. The safest place for her to be in her weakened condition, she figured, was where fewer things could reach her. Painfully, she climbed up around nine feet. Making herself halfway comfortable, she leaned against a branch and fell asleep, exhausted by pain and fear.  
  
Sonora moved through the trees, trying to be light-footed but failing frequently. There were so many sounds so close...Sonora feared for herself; there were so many sounds so far...she feared for Sadie. But, no matter where the spine-tingling noises came from, she was always afraid. Fear kept her alert, kept her from stopping, kept her from bolting blindly through the trees and running as far away from this godforsaken place as her feet would take her. Sonora sighed as she crouched against a nearby tree at the edge of another small clearing. She was sure she had not been going straight.  
  
A shadow moved across the clearing. Sonora froze in fear as the shadow released a mournful howl. The werewolf, jet-black and scrawny, stopped suddenly and begun to sniff feverishly. /It smells me,/ thought Sonora. Her veins surged with adrenaline as the werewolf came closer. It stopped at a tree only two yards away from where Sonora watched. The werewolf sniffed the roots, then several branches going up, perfect for climbing up the tree. Sonora mentally gasped as she realized someone was up that tree. She looked and saw several broken tree branches farther up in the canopy, and an impression in the leaves. Sonora looked through an opening in the leaves, confirming her worst fears. There in the tree was Sadie, sleeping soundly.  
  
The werewolf wasted no time in climbing up after it was sure that someone was up it. Sonora could only watch in terror as it bit onto Sadie's shoe and slid her off the branch she was sitting on. Sadie crashed onto the ground and was instantly wide-awake. The werewolf gazed at her intently, saliva dripping out of its mouth. It edged closer every second. Sadie opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.  
  
Sonora's fear tripled as another werewolf, this one dark tan and more limber, slunk into the clearing, directly opposite of Sadie and her predator. This tan werewolf looked horrorstruck at the scene before it and gave a running leap at the black werewolf the same instant it lunged at Sadie. The tan werewolf tackled the black one just as it had sunk its loathsome jaws into Sadie's forearm. Sadie screamed and wrenched her arm away, gazing in hysteria at her wound and fully realizing what it meant. The two werewolves fought viciously, the snarling almost deafening.  
  
Sonora, suddenly finding herself able to move, ran to Sadie's aid. Sadie was leaning against the tree, moaning and cradling her arm. Sonora knelt beside her and put her hand softly on her shoulder. Sadie's head snapped up to look at her then turned to the side and saw the brutal battle of the fearful creatures. Sadie's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell against Sonora. Sonora could only cradle her for a moment. A gruesome snap of bones brought her attention to the fighting creatures. The tan one had the other's neck in its jaws, which it dropped after a moment. The werewolf looked straight into Sonora's eyes, breathing heavily. Sonora's blood ran cold as it stepped softly nearer to her. If her mind was not so distracted, she would have been annoyed to find that she was frozen in fear once more. It padded closer and crouched next to Sadie's still body, eyeing it carefully...  
  
"Come on Sonora; let's get her to my office. I can help her more than Madam Pomfrey can." It was Remus. 


	9. No Hope Left

Chapter 9-No Hope Left  
  
Sonora would never grasp how she regained her senses and helped Remus put Sadie on his back. Nor would she ever forget that walk back to the castle. Remus used Sadie's wand to put up sparks and handed it to Sonora to light the way. The castle looked like heaven itself when they came to the edge of the forest. Dumbledore met them inside on the way to Remus's office. One look at the group of them and he had all the information he needed.  
  
"Help her, Remus," he entreated softly, "Do all you can."  
  
Remus's clawed hands could not unlock the door, so he told Sonora where the extra key was and they brought Sadie in. She was still out cold when Remus laid her on his lumpy couch in the side room.  
  
"Shouldn't she be awake yet?"  
  
Remus shook his hairy head. "You don't wake up until dawn with a werewolf bite. It goes all the way through your system. I don't know what we'll do when she gets up."  
  
Dawn came slowly in the little office. Remus stepped out of the room when the sun was nearly up. He came back in human form moments after Sadie was revived.  
  
She gazed intently in his eyes as he sat down next to the bed.  
  
"I'm a werewolf, aren't I? Tell me straight, I don't want it to sound any better than it really is."  
  
Remus sighed heavily. "Yes, you are a werewolf."  
  
"You were that tan werewolf, weren't you?"  
  
Remus smiled wearily. "Yes."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Sadie looked out the window, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's like illegal or something for me to be adopted now, isn't it? Or even go in a foster home? Or ever have a family?"  
  
Remus's eyes grew misty. "Yes, it's illegal."  
  
"Where is Emma? She needs to know. She needs to know a lot of things." A bitter darkness was in her eyes.  
  
Remus looked very uncomfortable, like he knew something unpleasant that he didn't want to tell. "Emma is..." But Sadie's eyes begged him to tell her. "Emma is gone."  
  
"/Gone?/ What do you mean /gone?/ Where did she go?"  
  
Remus looked intently into her eyes. "To look for you."  
  
Sadie fought back the tears and held on to her pride. "Can I be by myself for a while?" she entreated. The professors looked at each other and stepped into the main part of the office, closing the door behind them. They tried not to listen to the sobbing in the next room, the mourning over lost dreams, faraway friends, and the premonition of an empty future.  
  
***  
  
Emma ran blindly through the Forest, her wand--held high in her hand-- glowing faintly. She shivered as a mournful, wailing howl rose above the trees. /A werewolf,/ she thought bitterly. /Just exactly what I need./ The sounds did not come any closer, however, so she continued to stumble feverishly through the dark, moody Forest. She had lost all sense of direction--she could not be any worse off, as she had no idea where--or what--her destination might be.  
  
After a full day with Sadie missing, she'd grown tired of the whispers that had followed her everywhere, the sad, pitying looks from the teachers, and the jeering laughter from the Slytherin table each time she'd entered the Great Hall at mealtime. Thinking of nothing more than her absolute need to get away from it all, she'd waited until after the curfew and then snuck out of the castle. Several times she had come very close to being caught by patrolling teachers--the watch had been tripled after Sadie had gone missing--but each time she'd ducked into a room and waited until the teacher had passed by. When she had left the grounds behind, she'd blundered straight into the Forbidden Forest, and had been running wildly towards who-knew-what ever since.  
  
The full moon disappeared behind a cloud, and the feeble wand light penetrated only a circumference of two or so feet. Emma slowed to a walk, glancing fearfully around at the black forest. She heard footsteps behind her, and then a twig snapped--she whirled around to find nothing behind her, that it had been only the effects of her over-tired imagination.  
  
Trembling still, she turned back and continued to trudge slowly and--she hoped--quietly through the forest. After a few moments, the moon reappeared, and she breathed a sigh of relief as the milky-white light filtered through the dark leaves, aiding the light of her wand a little. The howls of the werewolf, she realized, had stopped--the forest was silent as the tomb. Emma thought that perhaps she preferred the spine-tingling howls to the eerie silence that hung about her now. Even the crunching of dead leaves under her feet had become muted; the only sound in a vast galaxy of complete silence.  
  
She was not sure how long she walked in the silence, but after a while the sky--or at least, as much of it as she could see through the dark, suppressive leaves overhead, became slightly pink. After what might have been five or ten minutes, the sky had lightened considerably, though the forest remained dark. Emma strangely felt Sadie needed her and began to walk a bit faster, thinking that perhaps, by the thin light that dawn had brought, she might get out of the forest soon.  
  
The arrival of day had brightened her spirits considerably. She began to walk with more purpose, towards what she thought to be the edge of the forest.  
  
After Emma had continued towards her goal for several hours-the sun was now high overhead-fatigue hit her and she sat down against a tree trunk, not caring anymore about the dark shapes flitting just beyond her vision. Against her will, her eyes--heavy with sleeplessness--closed. The muted sounds of the forest grew dim and dimmer still, as she sank further into oblivion.  
  
When she finally awoke, well into the late afternoon, she found herself in a spacious, tastefully decorated room. She was lying on a dark cherry wood four-poster bed, covered with a thick hunter-green comforter. Her torn school robes had been replaced by a soft cotton nightgown. Across from the four-poster was a fireplace lit by a small, cheerfully crackling fire. Parallel to the bed was a small, one-person table and a single willow- backed chair with a soft-looking green cushion.  
  
After the initial delight of waking in a warm, comfortable bed after a night of running through the Forbidden Forest, Emma threw the covers from her and half-slid, half-fell onto the carpeted floor, tense and not knowing what to expect. She groped for her wand, but it had been taken with her robes, and was not anywhere on or around her. /Great, she thought. /Not only was I lost in the Forbidden Forest, but now I've been kidnapped or something.  
  
The word struck a chord inside her, and she started in surprise. /Kidnapped?/ She thought, trying to squash the fear that tried to creep into her thoughts. /Sadie was kidnapped..maybe I-/ Attempting to put the small, sneaking suspicion from her mind, she sank into the lounge chair and sat for a few moments, staring reflectively into the flames.  
  
She'd probably just been found, that's all, she thought. Yeah, just found. Who knows what might've been creeping up on her in the Forbidden Forest? Probably someone who was looking for her or for Sadie, or for both. /Terrific,/ she thought. /How many blunders can I make in one day? First I get lost in the Forbidden Forest.then I'm so dumb as to fall asleep there.then I let myself get caught by the very people who'll ship me right back to school./  
  
Emma hadn't known how she could /bear/ to spend another hopeless, listless, horrible day at Hogwarts with Sadie gone. She'd woken rather later than usual the previous morning and had rushed down to the hospital wing in order to do her nebulizer, hoping not to be late at breakfast. When she'd entered the Great Hall, coming directly from Madam Pomfrey's, Sadie hadn't been in her usual seat at the long Ravenclaw table. Emma had quickly ducked back out of the Hall and rushed up to the dormitory, thinking of silly ways to wake her friend up.  
  
When she'd reached the dormitory, the curtains around Sadie's bed had still been drawn. Emma had opened them quietly, hoping to startle Sadie into wakefulness.  
  
The bed had been empty.  
  
The bedding looked as thought it had not been disturbed all night. Thinking back to the night before, Emma remembered that she hadn't, after all, seen Sadie come up to bed. As they were leaving the Great Hall after dinner to come up to the Common Room, Professor Winsbree had asked to speak to Sadie for a moment about the recent test on wood fairies. Emma had proceeded up to the Common Room and, very tired, as she'd woken very early that morning to do her nebulizer, she'd retired to the dormitory soon afterwards and fallen quickly asleep. She'd assumed that Sadie had come up after she'd fallen asleep, though she realized that whatever had happened must have happened while Sadie was on her way up to the Common Room.  
  
/Or,/ she thought suddenly, jerked back to the present, /when she was with Professor Winsbree./ She shivered, though not from cold, unable to wholly put this new thought out of her mind.  
  
Immediately after she'd found Sadie's bed unoccupied, she'd fled back down to the Great Hall and, disregarding everyone else, gone immediately to Professor Dumbledore. Ignoring the scandalized looks from the other teachers, she'd gasped out the fact that Sadie was not there.  
  
Dumbledore had stared hard at her for a moment, and then stood abruptly. He'd broken the news to the Hall and immediately sent several teachers to scour the school from top to bottom and look for the missing student.  
  
Emma suspected that it had something to do with the death of Cedric Diggory the previous year--missing students had never before been searched for by nearly all the faculty, simply after being missing for a few minutes. She hadn't connected it then--but now, sitting in front of a strange fire, in a strange room, her rationality greatly lessened by her trepidation, a thought entered her mind.  
  
/Could You-Know-Who have kidnapped Sadie?/  
  
/Could You-Know-Who have kidnapped _her_?/  
  
Her mind wandered back to the previous morning once more. The teachers had returned after three quarters of an hour or so. No trace of Sadie had found--and none, either, of Professor Winsbree. Dumbledore, looking suddenly very old, had asked Emma to come with him to his office.  
  
The Headmaster had taken a seat behind his antiquated desk, motioning Emma to sit opposite him.  
  
"Is there anything you'd like to talk to me about?" he asked slowly, fixing one of his searching looks on her.  
  
"No," said Emma dully, thinking about Sadie and simply wishing to get out of here as soon as possible.  
  
"Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked gently.  
  
"Yeah--can I go now?" Emma asked, not looking him in the eye.  
  
Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, you may," he said. He rose and walked to the door with her. "Remember," he said softly, "Though Night may be very long, and very dark, Morning will always come."  
  
Emma had left the office then, and went back to her daily classes. She'd trudged painfully through each dull subject, drawn into herself and offering no word to anyone. During the time that was usually Defense Against the Dark Arts, she'd sat moodily in the Common Room, apart from the others who were using this free period as a sort of party-time.  
  
Straight after dinner she'd fled up to her dormitory and drawn the curtains around her bed, hoping no one would bother her. As soon as all of her roommates--all of them, that is, except Sadie--had come up and finally fallen asleep, she'd crept down the staircase and out of the school.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She sat, terrified, clutching the arms of the green lounge chair. The door opened and a smallish man, carrying a tray heaped with food in one hand and what looked like fresh robes in the other, entered. Without speaking he set both on the tiny table and left the room, only glancing at her once.  
  
Emma sat, trembling slightly from the shock of being so startlingly interrupted, staring at the items on the small table. After a moment, thinking it could do no harm; she rose and changed into the new robes. They were a bit too large, but very comfortable--grey with a strange hunter- green emblem on them, and very light. Not knowing what to do with the nightgown, Emma finally folded it--it /seemed/ like the right thing to do-- and set it on the bed.  
  
She stared hungrily at the food, her stomach growling loudly. She hadn't eaten anything since dinner last night, nearly twenty-four hours ago. Greedily she ate a piece of lavishly buttered toast before common sense got the better of her, and she stared in horror at the place the toast had been. /Oh, great,/ she thought deprecatingly, /Can I never get anything right? First I go get myself lost in the forest.then I fall asleep.then I get caught by who-knows-who.and then I eat the food, which is most likely drugged or poisoned or something else horrible./  
  
Luckily, the door opened once more without warning before she was able to eat--or think about--any more of the food. A tall man she had never seen before entered, the smallish man who had brought her food and robes hovering close behind him. The small man was carrying a willow-backed, green-cushioned dining chair, which he set before the table across from Sadie. The stranger sat in it, waving his servant carelessly away with a long-fingered hand.  
  
He looked as if he were in his sixties or seventies, with gray hair that had once been black and laugh lines around a smiling mouth. He had hazel eyes that bordered on amber, and a swift, easy manner. All of her suspicions dropped away immediately, and Emma realized with a sinking heart that this man could only be one of those searching for her or for Sadie.  
  
"Good evening, Emma," said the stranger pleasantly. When Emma did not reply, he asked, "Do you know who I am?"  
  
"How could I be expected to?" she asked frostily.  
  
The stranger chuckled. "Good, very good. My name is Tom, and I think you might want to say hello, as you are very much in my debt, young lady."  
  
Emma scowled, feeling more and more ill-tempered. "That's debatable," she said coldly.  
  
Tom chuckled again. "I can see you are not very happy being here," he said. "But I think I can safely assume you would rather be here, than where you might by this time have been. It isn't a wise idea to go carelessly to sleep in the Forbidden Forest, you know. When I and my companions found you, you were encircled about by a number of harmful creatures unfit to describe to you, and would not have been around to be rescued for much longer. But now you're safe, and we can use as much speed as possible to transport you back to your school."  
  
"And if I don't /want/ to go back?" she asked defiantly.  
  
"I'm sure you will," said he, "Once you know who is there."  
  
"Who?" Emma asked sullenly, unwilling to be overcurious.  
  
"A good friend of yours," said Tom with a sad smile, "Who also happens to be my /obstinate/ grand-niece."  
  
Emma looked at him in bewilderment. "I don't know who on earth you can be talking about," she admitted.  
  
"Sadie," Tom replied.  
  
Emma stared at him in amazement. "/Sadie?/" she asked incredulously.  
  
Tom smiled sadly, "She does not know that she has family." He sighed heavily. "Her father was my half-nephew," he explained. "Her grandfather was my half-brother. My father," he scowled, "left my mother and I before I was born when he found out my mother was a witch. He remarried, and my half sister was the result. I did not know this until this year. It is such a sad thing that she has thought for all these many years that she was all alone--,"  
  
"Does she know?" Emma interrupted excitedly, forgetting her resentment.  
  
Tom sighed again. "Yes," he said heavily. "But she does not believe me. I found her, too, lost in the Forbidden Forest--very near the place you were--and brought her joyfully back with me, convinced that I'd found my grand niece. For some reason she did not believe that I was a relation, or even one searching for her (for I had heard that she'd gone missing from Hogwarts and set out to find her myself) on behalf of Professor Dumbledore. She ran away, with the help of one of the faculty of the school. I do not wish to frighten you, Emma, but I cannot believe that that teacher-- Professor Winsbree, was her name--can be allied with Dumbledore. I think that she must have darker connections, if you know what I mean."  
  
"Professor /Winsbree?/" asked Emma, laughing in disbelief. "Trust me, she's a great teacher, but she isn't /half/ smart enough to--you know, go over to You-Know-Who's side. /Or/ kidnap Sadie from /anywhere, especially/ not Hogwarts. But aside from that," Emma furrowed her brows, "how can I be sure that you're who you say you are?"  
  
Tom's hazel eyes grew cold, though he was still smiling pleasantly. The contrast made Emma shiver slightly, though she tried to hide it.  
  
"You doubt me?" Tom asked quizzically. "Why ever would I pretend to be someone I'm not?"  
  
A warning light clicked on in the back of Emma's mind, and she stared hard at the man seated across from her. What was it.it was something about Sadie.Sadie's name.but what could possibly be wrong with Sadie's name.it was just Sadie, that's all.  
  
/A girl she had never seen before, accompanied by ex-Professor Remus Lupin, had walked into the bookshop, looking slightly nervous. She'd hesitantly asked Emma where the clerk was.when Emma had replied that she was the clerk, she'd relaxed and introduced herself as Sadie./  
  
Sadie Riddle.  
  
Tom--Tom Riddle. Of course. Everyone at school had heard about Harry Potter's encounters with Tom Riddle, more commonly known as Lord Voldemort. He probably /was/ Sadie's great uncle, then, after all. Heaven help Sadie! Emma became suddenly cold, unable to look at the "kindly" man seated across from her.  
  
"Well?" he asked impatiently. "Why would I?"  
  
"I guess you wouldn't," said Emma, forcing herself to remain calm while thinking wildly. /I could jump out the window,/ she thought desperately, wildly, glancing at the darkened sky. /It doesn't look like it's more than a few feet down. But how would I get away from there?/  
  
"Ah, then," said Tom with a sigh of satisfaction, "We are in agreement. Now, if you would consent to helping me to convince Sadie of the truth of our genealogical connection."  
  
"No," said Emma before she could stop herself.  
  
The smile quickly faded from her captor's face. "Why not?" he asked, making very little effort to sound cordial. "Do you not wish the best for your friend, as I do?"  
  
"I do," said Emma, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying. "And that's why I'm not going to help /you!/"  
  
Tom--or rather, Voldemort--rose and clapped his hands abruptly. The small, terrified man who had brought Emma's breakfast to her entered and bowed very low. "M-master!" he stammered, carefully avoiding Emma's eyes.  
  
/Peter Pettigrew,/ Emma thought as she looked at him. He fit the description Harry had given her of the treacherous double-crosser the year before. It was hard to think that he'd once been one of Harry's dad's best friends...  
  
"Please return the school robes to Miss Walker," Voldemort ordered. "She will be returning to Hogwarts presently."  
  
"What if I don't want to go?" Emma shot at him, knowing she was only digging her hole deeper but unable to keep silent.  
  
"I do not think you have a choice in the matter," he replied smoothly. "Indeed, you won't have a choice in much of anything in a moment."  
  
Before Emma could react, he had drawn his wand. "If you will not consent to help me," he said mockingly, "I suppose I shall have to gain your support some other way. We wouldn't want to let dear Sadie slip through our fingers, now, would we?" he smiled broadly, and waved the wand at Emma.  
  
"IMPERIO!" 


	10. New Moon

Chapter 10-New Moon  
  
Sadie stayed in bed for some hours, feeling sorry for herself and hating everyone.  
  
/If Voldemort hadn't killed my parents none of this would have ever happened...If Emma hadn't run away I wouldn't be all by myself...If Winsbree hadn't brought me to Voldemort, I would be in class right now, chatting with Emma...If Remus hadn't--/Sadie faltered and searched her mind for something Remus had done. But there wasn't anything. He'd always been a role-model to her, easy to talk to, happy to give advice, understood where she was coming from...Sadie frowned. More so than ever now, now that she was a werewolf too. Sadie furrowed her brow. And yet, she had never seen him bitter, or even unhappy. Unhealthy, yes, frequently, every full moon at that. But he never complained or showed that he thought life had given him an unfair hand. Sadie looked resolutely at the closed door. If he could do that, so could she.  
  
Sadie got up and laid a hand on the door. Be strong, she told herself. You may be a werewolf, but you're still Sadie. She pushed the door open. Remus was there, along with Winsbree and Dumbledore. They looked up when she stepped into the room.  
  
Sadie took a breath. "Hi."  
  
Dumbledore smiled at her sadly. "Good morning, Sadie."  
  
Remus smiled encouragingly and beckoned her over. "Professor Winsbree has already told us everything. You look okay, how do you feel?"  
  
"As good as I'll ever be from now on," said Sadie, smiling wryly. Sadie looked earnestly at Dumbledore. "But what about Emma?"  
  
"A search has already begun."  
  
Sadie looked at him wildly. "Why didn't you call me? I need to go to, now!"  
  
"Ms. Riddle, why ever would you want that? I would think you would be happy to return, safe from harm--"  
  
Sadie shook her head. "Professor Dumbledore, I don't think you understand. Emma went out to look for me when I was neck deep in trouble. And now she's in trouble. Would it be right for me not to go to her?"  
  
"Understandable, Ms. Riddle, but I think there is something that I do not think /you/ understand. Lord Voldemort is looking for you. It would be dangerous for you to even take a single step out the door."  
  
Sadie looked weightily at Dumbledore. "My uncle is probably looking for me, but what if he finds /Emma?/"  
  
Dumbledore looked into Sadie's eyes carefully. "Very well. I must stay here, but you may go with Professor Lupin as he was about to join the search party anyway."  
  
Sadie nodded. "Thank you, Professor." She held out her hand. "In case I don't come back..."  
  
Dumbledore took her hand in his and gave is a firm shake. "You will, Ms. Riddle, you will. But be careful nonetheless."  
  
Sadie smiled and walked out of the room to prepare. Remus followed and caught up with her.  
  
"Sadie, do you realize what you're doing? You're walking straight back into Voldemort's hands and I really don't think--"  
  
Sadie spoke bitterly. "You sound like my father...or at least what my father would have sounded like, had he got the chance. I know what I'm doing Remus, even if /you/ don't know what I'm doing. Professor Dumbledore understands that I need to go, so at least pretend you do."  
  
Remus took her by the shoulders and looked down on her, his eyes sad and serious. "Sadie, you can't change being a werewolf."  
  
Sadie pushed his hands away. "So that's what you think this is about?" She closed her eyes and shook her head. She looked back up at him fighting tears. "She's my best friend. Without her, I don't have anything."  
  
Remus smiled gently. "And without you, I don't have the daughter I didn't know I wanted."  
  
Sadie looked at him blankly. "But werewolves can't have families...."  
  
Remus held up a finger. "Ah, ah, ah...Not of non-lycanthropes. So what do you say?"  
  
Sadie studied him with a new eye. "We'll talk after we find Emma," she walked off.  
  
Remus smiled. "So there's no stopping you?" he called after her.  
  
"Is there ever?" Sadie called over her shoulder as she turned the corner.  
  
/He wants to be my father? But.would that be betraying my real father? I don't know him, sure, but if I could have, would he want me to give that title to someone else? Someone like Remus would make a good dad, no doubt, but./ Sadie's mind was spinning with such thoughts as she walked to the Common Room. She pulled on her trusty pair of sneakers. Sadie scoffed, remembering that Voldemort had mentioned them. She grabbed her cloak and braided her hair, and ran all the way down to the school entrance. As she expected, Remus was waiting there.  
  
"Let's go," Sadie said to him resolutely putting on her cloak. He opened the door for her and followed her out. She headed directly towards the Forest. "I think we should head straight for the Forbidden Forest. Ten to one that's where she went, and knowing Emma she went in as straight of a line as possible and--"  
  
Remus put an arm out to stop her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. Let's not jump to conclusions here, it won't help anything."  
  
Sadie took a heavy breath. "I just want to find her, Remus. Before anything happens to her, I want to find her."  
  
"I know, but trampling through the Forest won't get us anywhere unless we have a plan."  
  
"Professor Winsbree did it. Her only plan was to find me and get back to school."  
  
Remus looked down on Sadie reprovingly. "And she almost got bit."  
  
Sadie jumped up and down. "Oh, come /on/, Remus. We're scarier than a lot of the stuff in here," she whined.  
  
Remus laughed. "You could be right. Ok, you convinced me. Let's go." Remus, his feet well trained, padded softly into the dark undergrowth. Sadie followed close behind.  
  
It was several hours later that they stopped their steady march. Sadie had a dire stitch in her side, but had said nothing, only clutched it and grimaced. Remus had plucked a few grasses and such on the way and put them in his pocket. Now that they had stopped, he pulled them out again and handed some of them to Sadie.  
  
"Chew on these. They'll keep you going for a while, but they're better as a potion."  
  
Sadie took them warily. They had no flavor, but Sadie felt the pain in her side fade and the weariness in her feet subside. Remus had taken a seat on a fallen log and was looking thoughtfully into the gloom.  
  
Sadie sat down beside him. "So, tell me.how--well, what made you decide that you wanted to adopt me? It's a big decision."  
  
Remus smiled. "You remember going shopping and--"  
  
Sadie laughed disbelievingly. "The pet lady???"  
  
Remus nodded. "Yeah.and then you've always been such a good kid, very mature. You deserved a family. Then, there's the whole werewolf thing."  
  
Sadie nodded, thinking.  
  
Remus looked up through the foliage at the sky. "Well, I guess we ought to head off again. It's two-ish."  
  
Sadie stood and looked up also. "How can you tell?"  
  
Remus pointed at his wrist. "It's called a watch."  
  
Sadie laughed embarrassedly and trudged into the woods, Remus at her side. Birds chattered nervously around them, leaves rustled uneasily. Sadie moved closer to Remus only half conscious that she did it. Remus laid a hand paternally on her shoulder. Sadie smiled up at him, and they lumbered ever onward into the oppressive dark surrounding them. It was several more hours before the trees thinned and ended completely. They emerged from the stifling wood at the foot of a gray hill and into the failing light. Remus and Sadie continued straight up it.  
  
"At least--we'll--be able--to see more--when we get--to the top," huffed Sadie. When she reached the top, Sadie saw miles of rocky hills and broken ground. Near the horizon lay the vast, ominous castle.  
  
"Well," Remus said, "there's no sign of the castle."  
  
Sadie looked grim. "I see it."  
  
Remus squinted at the distance. "Well.we can't do anything right now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Remus didn't look at her. "Because the moon will be up in a few minutes." Sadie's blood chilled. "And I'll--".  
  
/ "We'll. /"  
  
Sadie paled and sat down. "Does--does it hurt?"  
  
Remus smiled and crouched beside her. "What do you think the potion was for? No, it'll be just like being an Animagus. So don't worry, it's just hard to get used to at first."  
  
Sadie nodded and slowed her breathing. Remus glanced up at the sky. "The moon's rising. It's better if you don't tense up."  
  
. Sadie saw the sun dip under the sky and closed her eyes tight. She felt the soft moonlight find her. Her skin prickled as a deathly chill crept over it. Sadie put her arms over her head defensively and closed her eyes tight. Sadie felt like an old rubber band pulled nearly to breaking as her muscles swelled and her nose and mouth morphed into a doggish snout. Her jaw expanded and her teeth grew to canine ferocity. Her head tingled; whiskers sprouted and ears adjusted. Sadie's entire body tensed and changed. Then, suddenly, Sadie's mind went blank, like a page with nothing written on it. A hand lay on her shoulder.  
  
"It's over."  
  
Sadie looked up and saw a tan werewolf with familiar eyes. Remus gave her a hairy hand and helped her up. Sadie wiggled her clawed toes and felt her muzzle. Her hands shook a little as she touched her ears and found her tail. Remus stepped back. "Ready?"  
  
"Yeah." She had barely said it when Remus tore off running. Sadie started to jog after him, but felt ridiculous and ran after him all the way to the next rocky outcropping. Remus panted, his tongue nearly lolling out. He looked up at the moon and howled, long and mournful.  
  
"Beat /that,/" he dared proudly.  
  
"I don't know how." Not that she really /wanted /to know. She was feeling wolfish quite enough already.  
  
"Just fill your lungs and.well, yell with your mouth half closed."  
  
Sadie looked skeptically at him but inhaled nonetheless. "Arrrooooooooarrrrraah."  
  
Remus looked impressed. "Good.for a beginner." He looked up meditatively at the moon overhead. "Isn't the moon a funny thing? It's always changing.and, of course, it's what changes us. Even so, the moon really doesn't change; it's our view of it that does. It's always there, not a bright as the sun.but because of that, the fact that it's not as bright, we're more familiar with it, and we understand it more." Remus looked at her and smiled. "Sometimes we love it more, even if we're thankful for the life the sun gives us, and will always continue to give, and for what the moon doesn't give us." Sadie looked at him thoughtfully, relating what he had said to the good, kind man standing next to her. "Now, back to business. You go that way, and I'll go this way. If you find her, come tell me before you tackle her. Also, we don't know /who else is around,/ so don't talk. Remember, you're a werewolf."  
  
"How could I forget?" Sadie skirted down the rocks.  
  
***  
  
/That's right, just wander aimlessly.go anywhere but the Forest./ Emma obeyed mindlessly. She still felt like she was floating and was unconscious of her surroundings and herself. Only the voice and its commands existed. She saw her surroundings with her body, but her mind, fully under Voldemort's control, did not register anything unless it was his order.  
  
/Now turn east,/ the voice said presently. /It is time you went a little nearer to the searching party./ Obediently, Emma turned a bit to the left, and noticed the Forbidden Forest looming up in front of her. Momentary panic filled her, soothed only by the sound of the voice again--/don't worry. Nothing in the Forest will harm you while you are under my protection./ The voice seemed to chuckle pleasantly as it spoke, calming Emma like a thick down comforter on a December evening.  
  
/You know,/said the voice after she had been walking for a few moments, /I pity you. There is great potential within you./ It paused, and then continued. /To have been taught all your life to disregard such potential./Emma could almost see the owner of the voice shaking his head sadly. /Now that is a pity indeed./  
  
What do you mean? Emma asked, finding herself capable of responsive thought. The voice sighed. /How long,/ it asked, /have you attended Hogwarts School?/  
  
Emma, forcing herself to think independently of the voice, was quiet for a moment. Then, Five years, she answered.  
  
The voice sighed again. /I pity you,/ it repeated. /To have lived for so long being taught myths and untruths.for this do I pity you. For you know,/ it continued gently, /not everything they teach at Hogwarts is one hundred percent truthful./  
  
It's not? Emma asked, trustingly.  
  
/Of course not, said the voice with a sad little laugh. It never was.there used to be more truth in its teachings but this, alas, has now gone entirely./ It hesitated, then continued. /What have they told you concerning the Lord Voldemort, who they would label Dark Lord?/  
  
He's--he's evil, replied Emma, groping for the right word. He's a Dark Lord. He was once a student at the school-  
  
The voice sighed, cutting off her thought-reply. /I am very sorry,/ it said gently. /What I am about to say will seem very harsh to you. But I am afraid.it sighed again. I am afraid you have greatly been deceived. The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is the one most to be feared. He is the real Dark Lord./  
  
What--thought Emma, but the voice continued before she could make further protest.  
  
/Long ago, Dumbledore was once a very good man. He taught at Hogwarts School--but he craved power. He was not satisfied with his position. He wanted more./  
  
/Through the course of many years he studied dark arts, arts that would allow him to gain power beyond even his wildest dreams. He concealed his studies from his colleagues and his students--indeed, from the entirety of the wizarding world. At last, he found what he sought. He began to wreak all manner of terrible destruction upon the School--he let loose a hideous demon upon the students, a Basilisk. Realizing that he would soon be caught, he bewitched a student, and this student went to the current Headmaster and turned in another. It was a vile act, but it was not the fault of the student./  
  
Who was the student, Emma asked.  
  
/His name,/ replied the voice, /was Tom Riddle. He was brilliant--perhaps the most brilliant student ever to come to Hogwarts. And he was misled by Dumbledore, thinking him a good man. Dumbledore hated him for his brilliance, and after Tom Riddle had graduated from Hogwarts and other abhorrent occurrences began, Dumbledore laid the blame upon the Lord Voldemort, who he said was Tom Riddle come back in another form. It was all quite ridiculous--but it was believed./  
  
Oh, how horrible, though Emma.  
  
/Yes,/ replied the voice; then it was silent, and Emma was left to her own thoughts.  
  
What the voice had told her had contradicted everything she'd ever learned. Could it be lying to her? No, she thought immediately; it would not lie. Then could it itself be deceived? No. The only plausible answer was that it was speaking the truth-  
  
A long, mournful howl interrupted her train of thought, and she stopped, paralyzed with fear. Gooseflesh prickled along her arms. Her mouth opened in a scream, but the scream would not come-  
  
Before her, at the head of an uncomfortably near hill, was a werewolf.  
  
She stopped, forgetting everything: the voice, her troubled thoughts, the puzzling story the voice had told her. She backed up quickly, consequently hitting her spine hard against the gnarled bark of a large pine tree, her mouth still open in a silent scream.  
After a moment, when the werewolf had not advanced further, she overcame some of her panic and began to study the beast. It looked smaller than a fully-grown werewolf; a child, then, but no less menacing. It had silver fur and a brooding, watchful expression, which did not comfort Emma any more than the howl had.  
Suddenly it gave a short bark, and before Emma could react another werewolf came quickly into the clearing. This one was larger--an adult werewolf-- with tan-colored fur. It stopped, looked at Emma intently, and then, accompanied by the other, began to advance.  
Sadie attempted to get her point across by nodding her head in the direction they would go, but Emma only stared, terrified and confused. Sighing inwardly, Sadie nudged her again--harder this time--and turned and began to walk in the direction of Hogwarts. Emma did not move, a puzzled expression on her face.  
"Get behind her," Sadie called to Remus as she continued to trot towards the castle. "Maybe she'll come if you're behind her."  
  
Remus fell in behind Emma. Emma slowly began to follow Sadie, the expression of confused fear not leaving her face--but at least she was following.  
  
They walked along in this fashion for what must have been several hours before the trees around them began to thin. Sadie, relieved, ran forward to the edge of the wood and then stopped, waiting for Emma and Remus to catch up.  
  
The castle, glowing faintly blue in the almost-dawn, was before them. A few spots of yellow light showed where sleepless teachers sat in their offices, waiting for the return of the people who had been sent out to search for Emma. Sadie, caught up in her own excitement, turned to make an excited comment to Remus, and stopped.  
  
Emma stood, transfixed by the vision of the castle. As Sadie watched her, the surprised expression faded, replaced by a complacent, obedient one--and then this too left, and the expression on her face was one of intense inner pain.  
  
The voice chuckled. /I could not have done it better myself,/ it said. /You did not even need the help of the searching party. Well-timed indeed, I might say./  
  
Yes, thought Emma, her fear of the werewolves that had been present since her first sight of them fading. She sank again into the blissfully happy, semi-conscious state, living only for what the voice told her.  
  
A light in the castle twinkled merrily. Emma watched it for a moment, and as she did so, the semi-consciousness began to fade. If the voice was telling the truth then this place, which had been a second home for five years, was a place of corruption and evil. As the light winked at her, innocent in its pureness, the thought in her mind surfaced-  
  
It can't be evil.  
  
It can't be.  
  
/But it is./ said the voice, a note of sad yet firm assurance in it. /It is./  
  
It's not, she thought defiantly. It's good.  
  
/Stop it!/ said the voice, suddenly angry. A spasm of pain--not pain, exactly, but something quite as intense and unpleasant--shot through her as it spoke. /Listen to me!/  
  
No, thought Emma, but she was weakening. Then, It's a place of light. Good. Not evil. And--and Professor Dumbledore isn't evil either.  
  
/Listen!/ screeched the voice. /You cannot defy me! You are under my command--listen--listen-/  
  
No, thought Emma stolidly. It's good. Hogwarts is good. The teachings are good. Professor Dumbledore is good.  
  
The voice was suddenly silent, and Emma relaxed.  
  
/You are still in my power,/ it said suddenly.  
  
But I don't want to be, Emma protested, much as a small child would protest going to bed.  
  
The voice gave a small chuckle. /I am afraid,/ it said, /that you do not have much choice./  
  
***  
  
/Ask her about her uncle,/ Tom--Voldemort--prompted. Emma turned to Sadie, willing herself to stop even as she did so. What, she thought suddenly, if she were to speak as if under a lot of pressure? Maybe she could get the message to Sadie not to listen to her, not to trust her any more...  
  
/Act natural,/ came the next command with lightning swiftness. Emma sighed inwardly.  
  
"So, Sadie, what do you think about your uncle?" Emma asked, hoping Sadie would wonder how Emma knew about Riddle.  
  
"Wha--oh, him," Sadie answered, trying to remember if she'd told Emma about her experience with Tom and Professor Winsbree or not. She guessed she had; otherwise how would Emma have known? "I don't know," she replied carelessly. "It's pretty obvious what I think of him, isn't it?"  
  
Emma screamed inside herself, and heard only a satisfied laugh from her invisible captor. "Oh," she said.  
  
/Ask her why she left,/ Riddle persisted.  
  
"So...uh...how come you left?"  
  
Sadie stared this time, and Emma hoped she realized the absurdity of the questions she was asking before it was too late.  
  
"Earth to Emma," Sadie said after a moment, lightening up as if Emma were only joking. But I'm not joking, Emma thought desperately. Like this is a joke. "You really have to ask why? He's the most evil wizard of our time," Sadie continued, "And he killed--" she hesitated. "Lots of people's parents," she finished lamely.  
  
"Oh," said Emma again. "Sadie--" she broke in urgently, before the voice inside of her could issue any more commands, "There's something you should know--"  
  
/STOP!/ Tom screeched. /You idiot, what do you think you were doing?/  
  
I don't know, Emma thought miserably. Trying to save myself and everyone else here.  
  
Riddle laughed. /Good try,/ he said complacently. /Tell her that you missed her while she was gone./ He laughed again.  
  
"What?" Sadie asked, giving Emma a strange look.  
  
"I, uh, missed you," said Emma quietly.  
  
"Oh," said Sadie, a bit confused. Then she added, hesitantly, "Emma--are you all right?"  
  
Of course I am not all right! Emma screamed inside. A cold laugh greeted her silent scream. /Reply that you are feeling a bit tired,/ Tom instructed.  
  
"I'm fine," Emma said miserably. "Just a bit tired...I guess."  
  
"So...am I bothering you?" Sadie asked suddenly.  
  
Emma shook her head wordlessly. No, you're not bothering me, she thought. It's me that will be doing the bothering...the voice inside her laughed.  
  
You still haven't told me why you've--you know, Emma told the voice. Pretty stupid idea, if you ask me--whatever it is.  
  
The voice chuckled. /I should think that it would be obvious even to you./  
  
Well, it's not, Emma replied rebelliously. She was staring away from Sadie, into the crackling fire that was always burning in the common room. Suddenly an image began to materialize within it--a perfect, flaming replica of Hogwarts Castle. A large, winged shape flew over it and then melted back into the flames--two miniscule fiery students walked across the orange grounds.  
  
"Sadie, the fire!" she gasped after a moment. Sadie, somewhat alarmed turned toward the fireplace--and then back to Emma, nonplussed.  
  
"What about it?" she said. "Emma, are you sure you're all right?"  
  
No! Emma wanted to shout at her. No! I'm not all right! I'm the prisoner of a man living probably twenty or so miles away, I can't communicate with my best friend, and on top of all that, /I'm hallucinating./ No, I am not alright!!!  
  
Tom laughed again. /It wasn't a hallucination,/ he said mildly. /It was an explanation./  
  
An explanation of what, Emma asked crossly.  
  
/Tell Sadie that you feel fine,/ Tom instructed, ignoring her query.  
  
"I'm fine," said Emma, a little of her resentment carrying into her voice. Sadie raised her eyebrows, but didn't comment.  
  
/About the fire,/ said the voice after a moment. /It was a minor illusion. Basic enchantment. I am sure that you, Miss Walker, could easily do the same./  
  
Yes, but I didn't do it, said Emma. And there's no one else in the common room. And don't tell me that Sadie did it, because she couldn't even /see/ it.  
  
/I did it,/ replied Tom complacently.  
  
What--? thought Emma. You can't--I've studied this stuff-- enchantments, especially basic ones, have limits--you can't perform them in another /room,/ even, much less another building in a completely different place.  
  
She could almost hear the amused smile in Riddle's voice as he spoke again. /I did it through you,/ he said simply. /You study well, Miss Walker--it is true that spells have definite boundaries. But there is also another truth, which I doubt you have learned yet. While they will not work outside of boundaries independently, spells of any degree can work through a second person. You./  
  
Oh, said Emma, unsure of what else to say.  
  
/Thus,/ continued Voldemort, /do I plan to enter Hogwarts. Through you--by far the most faithful helper I have come across yet, and not even "on my side"./ He gave a short, cold laugh. /Through you I can breach the spells of protection guarding Hogwarts. Then I will be free to enter easily. Sadly, you will no longer be of use to me. It is unfortunate when things work out in such a way./  
  
Goosebumps broke out on Emma's arms, and she could no longer feel the heat of the fire. Inside her, the voice gave a quiet laugh, but did not speak further.  
  
"Sadie," she said abruptly, "I'm going upstairs to--to get my Transfiguration textbook."  
  
"It's right in front of you," said Sadie, pointing.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Emma said, hoping her voice would hold, "I meant my--my Charms textbook."  
  
"Okay, I'll come with," said Sadie brightly, jumping up. "There's so much still I want to talk to you about--you haven't told me about /anything/ that happened to you--"  
  
/The alibi./ Riddle's voice cut through Emma's thoughts. /Don't forget it./  
  
I won't, said Emma. How /could/ she, as Tom'd been drilling her in the false story ever since she'd arrived back at Hogwarts.  
  
"Yeah, I know," said Emma, forcing brightness into her tone. She started towards the staircase that led to the girls' dormitories.  
  
Sadie scrambled after, passed her friend, and confronted her.  
  
"Emma, really, something's wrong. Why won't you talk to me?"  
  
Emma ducked around Sadie. Can't you see I /want/ to talk to you? She cried voicelessly. Riddle gave a cold laugh. /Tell her to leave you alone,/ he said, cruelly amused.  
  
"Just leave me alone," Emma snapped, the combination of her own inner struggle and the words she had to say making it harsher than it should have been.  
  
Sadie continued to follow Emma, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Really--if there's anything I've done--"  
  
"Its not--" Emma began, but Riddle's irritated voice broke through her own. /Tell her it _is_ her fault,/ he commanded. /We cannot have her suspicions roused./  
  
"Just back off, okay?" Emma said irritatedly. She was irritated, not with Sadie, but with Tom--and /more/ than irritated. She could safely say that she /hated/ the voice within her. "I--I don't feel like talking right now."  
  
"If you're sure," said Sadie dubiously, hurt evident in her voice and eyes.  
  
Emma turned around and watched Sadie go slowly back down the stairs, wanting to call out to her, to make her come back, to tell her everything-  
  
/That is impossible,/ spat the voice, /and you know it./  
  
Just /you/ leave me alone, Emma thought viciously. The voice chuckled, but subsided.  
  
Emma continued to walk up the stairs slowly, pausing on each step, until she reached the door to the fifth-year girls' dormitory. Slowly, she pushed open the door and slowly, she went in, glad it was empty. She stood in the doorway for a moment and then walked over to her bed, sat down, pulled the curtains, and cried.  
  
*** Emma coughed wretchedly, again.  
  
"Emma, are you ok?"  
  
/Tell her it's just a bad cough./  
  
"It's just a bad cough," Emma replied despairingly.  
  
"Oh." Sadie studied her for a moment, thinking. Then, "You haven't done your therapy recently, have you?"  
  
"No," she said quickly, before the voice could think a nonchalant response.  
  
Sadie looked at her like she was speaking Vietnamese. "/Why?/"  
  
/Tell her you've been forgetting./ "I keep forgetting," Emma said robotically.  
  
"But you've done it since forever." Sadie said, even more confused.  
  
/Snap at her! Say it's none of her business, and to leave you alone and stop asking questions!/  
  
"It's none of your business! Stop asking questions and leave me alone!" Emma barked. But her eyes betrayed her voice. A tear rolled down her cheek and for a brief moment, Sadie saw how tortured she was, even though she hadn't a clue why.  
  
The voice spoke again venomously. /Now back away from her. Find somewhere where you won't be disturbed./ Emma could feel him scowling down at her. /You have some explaining to do./  
  
Emma stepped back and shook her head slowly, hopelessly, Sadie thought, and ran out of the Common Room. Sadie sat down numbly. Something was definitely wrong.  
  
First thing in the morning, Sadie went to Madam Pomfrey to ask her to make sure Emma went to therapy. But when she got there, Emma was already there, mouthpiece in use. She took it out and called to her over the din, "I just didn't want to care about my CF this past week, that's all. But Madam Pomfrey says it's not healthy." Emma stuck it back in gloomily and turned her back to the door. Sadie stepped out and walked slowly back down the hall.  
  
"That's not what she wanted to say." she muttered to herself. She bolted down the hall, a resolute look on her face. She didn't stop running until she reached Dumbledore, in the Great Hall.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," she gasped, clutching a stitch, "you've got to talk to Emma."  
  
Dumbledore looked surprised, but concerned. "Ms. Riddle, calm down. Professor McGonagall, will you please keep order here while I speak to Ms. Riddle?"  
  
"Yes, Headmaster."  
  
Dumbledore led Sadie out of the Hall and into a nearby room. "Now, Ms. Riddle, why are you so distressed?"  
  
"It's Emma, Professor. Something's not right. She hasn't been the same since we brought her back. She's not done /any/ of her therapy, I'm not sure she's even taken her enzymes. You know how well she always takes care of herself. And plus she just hasn't been herself /at all./ I can't explain but.something-Sir, something's killing her. I can see it in her eyes."  
  
Dumbledore looked deeply uneasy. "Would you please accompany me to the hospital wing, Ms. Riddle?"  
  
They strode to the hospital wing and found Emma just leaving. "Ms. Walker, please come with me to my office. Hope shone in her eyes for a moment until she replied animatedly, "I've got to go eat breakfast, if it takes too long I'll miss class, I've got to go to the bathroom, I don't trust you anymore, I'll hurt myself if you make me-"  
  
Dumbledore laid a hand on her shoulder. "That's quite enough," he said quietly, "Now /hush/."  
  
Emma looked frightened-no, /Emma/ did not look frightened, but something about her conveyed fear. Dumbledore, keeping his hand firmly on her shoulder, and with Sadie trailing behind, took them to his office. Not breaking contact with Emma, he took a strange device out of his desk: a stone tablet with thirteen glass balls-12 smaller ones encircling a larger one-with some swirling yellow gas inside. He touched his free hand on the largest one.  
  
"Friends, we need a quorum." The air whispered twelve confirmatory replies. In minutes Professors Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, Winsbree, Sprout, Sinistra, Binns, Vector, and Brodeur, and Madams Pomfrey, Pince, and Hooch were all gathered in the office with grave, curious expressions.  
  
Dumbledore addressed them. "I have reason to believe that Emma Walker has been placed under the Imperious Curse by Lord Voldemort." Emma went to run, but Dumbledore strengthened his grip. "To counter it, I must also perform the Imperious Curse. As you well know, it is strictly illegal for me to do so, and so I have called a quorum of lawfully upstanding individuals for exemption. Say 'Aye' if you feel the case must be handled as such." Each, more sober than the last, concurred. "Very well. Minerva, please lock the door." She did so and Dumbledore let go of Emma. She drew her wand.  
  
"I will use this, Albus," Emma spat vituperatively in a voice not her own.  
  
Dumbledore inhaled sharply and Sadie saw him as she had never seen him before-not a kindly, worn old man, but an imposing, learned sorcerer, exuding power and wisdom. He boomed "IMPERIO!" and Emma put her hands to her head and shrieked; an immense struggle for her mind was tearing her head in two. Then, like a lightning flash, Emma dropped her arms and looked around with a frightened, blank expresion. She collapsed to the floor.  
  
Dumbledore's shoulders sagged and he looked deathly weary. "Madam Pomfrey, will you please take her to the hospital wing until she recovers? You may stay with her Miss Riddle. Thank you for coming so quickly, my associates, but now I must ask you to take leave. I have not strength.to entertain company." Dumbledore's voice faded. He stepped laboriously to his adjoining quarters. "He has grown stronger," he murmured, and shut the door behind him.  
  
"Come Sadie," Madam Pomfrey called from the door. Emma was just outside on a floating stretcher. Sadie glanced at the door Dumbledore had left through again and left with Pomfrey, guiding Emma's stretcher and thanking a Higher Being for His support that day.  
  
***  
  
Emma woke the next morning to find herself in a bed in the hospital wing. Sadie was sitting in a chair nearby, A Guide to Advanced Divination across her lap. A look of intense concentration was on her face; Emma didn't feel like calling out to her yet.  
  
Her head hurt a little, a dull, throbbing pain. Her hands stung too-- scratches from running headlong through the Forbidden Forest stood out in slim red welts on them. Her midnight run through the Forest seemed like such a long time ago--and everything that had ensued. Riddle, the Imperius Curse, the werewolves, Dumbledore--they all seemed like distant memories, memories from some other lifetime that had happened long years ago.  
  
With a sigh she lay back on the pillow. Sadie, startled, looked up; with a broad smile she noticed that Emma was awake and scooted her chair nearer the bed, letting Advanced Divination fall unheeded to the floor.  
  
"Emma! You're awake!" she said, obviously pleased. "I've been waiting for ages--I came here as soon as I woke up this morning--Professor Dumbledore said it was all right if I skipped Magical Linguistics and Herbology--,"  
  
Emma stifled a yawn. "What time is it?" she asked. "Did I sleep that long?"  
  
"Nearly ten-thirty," Sadie replied. "Hang on, Emma--I promised I'd tell Madam Pomfrey when you woke up--," she stood and began to walk away from Emma's bed, but returned almost immediately.  
  
"No need," said Madam Pomfrey, coming into view. She carried a nebulizer in one hand and balanced a breakfast tray in the other; both she set down on the table beside Emma's bed.  
  
"Nebulizer first, then breakfast," she instructed. Emma promptly snatched the mouthpiece off the table and held it up, looking intently at the bottom. Before Sadie could ask what she was doing, she had grabbed hold of a thin clear-plastic tube and was pulling it slowly from the nebulizer. She continued pulling until a tube about three and a half feet in length dangled from underneath the nebulizer; she handed the opposite end of the tube to Madam Pomfrey. The nurse pushed a small, six-by-four inch panel in the wall, which slid aside to reveal a small hole which was gustily blowing out air. Madam Pomfrey pushed the tube onto this, and immediately a fine mist began to come out of the mouthpiece in Emma's hand.  
  
"Call me when you're done," said Madam Pomfrey, eyeing Emma sternly. "This morning's therapy will have to be extra-good to make up for a week of neglect."  
  
Emma stifled a laugh and nodded. When Madam Pomfrey had gone, she raised an eyebrow at Sadie. "Neglect?" she asked, talking thickly through the mouthpiece. "I wouldn't quite call it that."  
  
"I dunno," said Sadie. "She has a point, you know."  
  
"Sadie, I'm really, really sorry," said Emma, abruptly changing the subject. She gave a short, hard sigh, sending a smoke-ring of albuterol mist out the other end of the nebulizer. "I acted horribly. To you. To everyone. But mostly you."  
  
"It wasn't your fault," said Sadie awkwardly. "I mean, I hardly think anyone's going to blame you for it--,"  
  
"That's not what I care about," said Emma. "I didn't mean to, but--," she gave a tiny smile. "I'm just sorry."  
  
"Really, its okay," Sadie assured her. "I know that you didn't mean it--I mean, come on, you were hurting at least as much as I was, weren't you?"  
  
Emma gave a small nod and looked down at the white sheet.  
  
Regardless of the nebulizer, Sadie reached forward and put her arms around her friend. "Really, its okay," she said. "I'm glad you're back."  
  
"Me too," Emma smiled tearfully. "Me too. 


End file.
